We Who are Cursed
by SpeakerOfSilence
Summary: One who can see the future, One who can see the dead, One who can heal, One who knows all, One blessed with great beauty... but it all comes with a price. SailorMoonFruitsBasket
1. Prologue

Welcome to my new story, We Who Are Cursed. It is a SM and Fruits Basket crossover. This is the prologue, setting up for the whole story. The FB crew will be introduced next chapter. I will be taking suggestions for pairings for Rei, Hotaru, Minako, Makoto, and Ami. But, it doesn't mean I will use them.

Raiden: Yeah!

Disclaimer: I do not own SM or FB.

_Ages:_

_Rei- 18_

_Minako, Ami, and Makoto- 17_

_Hotaru- 15_

_Aya- Ancient XD_

* * *

Prologue 

_One who can see the future, but no one believes what she sees…_

A young girl lies in bed, her raven black locks cascading around her body like a waterfall. She reaches out to touch the window, which now is being pelted by raindrops. They run down like little rivers, eventually going to the ground.

Her eyes glisten with tears, her long eyelashes fighting back the wave. Her chest was heavy and her breathing hard, the feeling of the world being held on her shoulders.

"If only they could believe me…" She mouthed, wrapping her blankets around her tighter. "If only they could see what I see…"

Her mind went to the plane explosion she had witnessed in her mind, the screams of everyone on board and the ones on the surface, watching the scene unfold. She had tried to warn the passengers at the airport, but they all just laughed, telling her she was crazy. Forty minutes later, the plane had exploded upon take off.

The door creaked open, a smaller girl being halfway visible in the crack of the door. Her small voice broke through the stillness.

"Rei-chan, we are being summoned."

Rei rolled over in her bed and blinked, a few tears beginning to roll down her porcelain skin.

"Aya wants to see us." The small girl began to close the door. "She says it is important."

Rei smiled briefly, rubbing her cheeks to rid them of the tear stains. "Thank you, Hota-chan."

The small girl left, leaving the door to make a soft click as it shut. Rei sat up in her bed, rubbing her arms and feeling the soft knit of her black sweater. She did so for a few moments, and then proceeded to go into the living area.

* * *

_One who can see the dead, but cannot hear their desperate pleas for help… _

Hotaru walked down the hallway, covering her eyes as she did. Her right hand trailed the hallway walls, feeling for the turn to the den. She finally made her way there, but was forced to remove her hand and open her eyes to find the couch. Upon doing so, she saw an old man, moving his lips to speak to her, but no words came out.

This was why she hid her eyes, usually covering them with her black bandana. She hated to always see the dead, wandering around, some of them half gone and the other parts not even fully attached. Sometimes, there were even small children who came to her. But, she could not help them, their voices being inaudible to her. Because of this, they always came back, their restless souls seeking her aide.

The black haired girl covered her amethyst eyes, her shoulder length hair brushing on the ends of her bare shoulders. How she wished they would stop.

"But, this is our curse…" She spoke quietly, beginning to sit on the couch, eyes still covered. "All because of what the Phoenix did so long ago."

* * *

_One who knows everything, but has no voice to share it with…_

Ami read the last page of her book, her impassive eyes scanning the lines of text. When she concluded, she closed her book and placed her yellow bookmark between the pages, setting it down on her desk.

She sat up from her chair and brushed down her skirt and straitened her uniform top, taking off her glasses and setting them on the desk along with her book. She took one more glance at her desk, and then at her room before walking out, closing the door behind her as she went.

* * *

_One who was given the power to heal, but her own health is weak…_

Makoto coughed, droplets of blood appearing on her hand. Hotaru had just informed her of the meeting with Aya, so she began to make her journey towards the living room.

Her legs trembled and her body was frail, but she couldn't let that stop her. As far as this brunette was concerned, nothing could stop her.

The door opened and there stood her best friend, cousin, and doctor, Ami. Of course, she couldn't say anything, but the look she gave Makoto was one of scolding. Now Makoto was willing to rephrase herself; nothing could stop her, except for Ami.

Ami went to her, grabbing her arm and hoisting Makoto to her feet. The navy haired girl smiled and helped Makoto walk to the door, her grip strong and defiant.

"Thank you, Ami-chan."

* * *

_One graced with unbelievable beauty, but doomed to never find love…_

Minako walked into the living room, her green sundress waving against her legs as she did so. She saw poor Hotaru sitting at the table, covering her eyes with her small hands. The blonde then pulled off her headscarf and wrapped it around Hotaru's face, letting the small girl feel able to relax.

It pained Minako greatly to see Hotaru suffer; her being so young and have to bear so much. She could only imagine how bad it was for Rei, who was her older sister. Rei never got to see Hotaru go to school or listen to her middle school drama. Because of her curse, Hotaru was never allowed in school, but instead, home schooled.

"Mina-chan… What do you think Aya wants?"

Minako sat across from her cousin as they waited for the others to arrive. "I don't know, Hota-chan."

Hotaru turned her head down, her mouth twisting into a frown. "It is never pleasant when she comes around. They get all upset."

Minako raised an eyebrow. "They?"

"Them… the dead. They get angry when Aya comes."

Minako got the chills. Hotaru's curse always freaked her out, knowing she could see the dead. Around that time, Rei finally came in; her head held high and face free of sadness.

"Hey, Rei-chan!" The blonde chirped, waving to her best friend as she sat beside her. "Is everything ok?"

Rei nodded silently, giving Minako a small smile.

"Hey, Rei-chan."

"Hello, Hotaru." Rei whispered, looking towards her sister's blindfolded face. "How are you?"

Hotaru shrugged and then pointed to her covered face. "They are acting up today. I think it is because of Aya coming."

There was a brief silence, but soon demolished by Ami and Makoto stumbling in. Ami smiled and Makoto made the attempt, but her face soon fell to one filled with unease.

"Hey, guys." Minako spoke, smiling at them as they took their places beside Hotaru.

All Ami could do was smile, but Makoto mumbled a quiet hello. Minako's heart was panged with guilt, seeing Makoto in such a state.

"So, you are all here finally."

Everyone turned to see an older woman, her hair long and gray, but not one wrinkle resided on her face. She wore an orange and yellow kimono and heavy, black eyeliner. Her appearance always freaked everyone out.

"Rei, I assume you saw the plane crash today?"

Rei gave a pain stricken nod, her eyes losing all color. "Yes, I did."

Aya walked around the table to Rei, placing her hand underneath her chin to raise her gaze to hers. "Why did you try to warn them?"

Rei looked down; wanting to avoid Aya's piercing eyes. "I thought that maybe they would listen this time."

Aya laughed, pushing Rei's face down and patting the top of her head. "You are so simple, Rei. You know that no one other than us can believe your visions. Every attempt you make is futile."

The black haired girl said nothing, only looked to her sister across from her.

"Minako…" The blondes face went to Aya's. "I have seen you around with a boy."

Minako looked to her feet. "We are just friends, Aya."

"Good. You know love for you is well out of reach."

Minako's eyes glistened, but she fought them back.

"I just wanted to pay you girls a visit." Aya turned her back. "Remember, no stupidity."

With that Aya disappeared, leaving everyone to reflect on their problems.

* * *

There you go guys. Review if it so pleases you.


	2. Chapter One: The Phoenix's Fault

Thank you to all who reviewed. I recieved a lot of wanted and needed feedback, making this a lot easier for me. Especially from **moifah**, many thanks to you. I have not yet decided on the pairings, but am contemplating on all of your (as in all who reviewed) suggestions. I do have a certain someone I want to pair with Hatori, but the age factor makes me iffy. Should it matter? I don't know. I want your opinion.

Well, Raiden will be leaving the Disclaimer.

Raiden: Alright, well, neither I nor Silence own Fruits Basket or Sailor Moon. We do own the plot, however. Peace!

* * *

**_We Who are Cursed_**

**Chapter One: The Phoenix's Fault**

It was a hectic morning, two young ladies sprinting about their home in complete chaos. Today was the first day of school and as the usual tradition of their household implied, they were always late on the first day. Minako would usually sleep in too late and Rei would be too busy hanging out with her sister to notice the time. However, that always set them to be on schedule the following days.

"Rei-chan…" Hotaru asked her elder, rubbing her covered eyes. "Have a good day at school."

Rei turned to see Hotaru standing by the couch and facing the door, her all black attire and bandana making Rei feel guilty. She hated that Hotaru couldn't have a normal life, have normal friends, and do normal things. She couldn't even walk around their own home without a bandana covering her eyes.

"Thank you, Hota-chan. Be good and help Ami with Makoto if she needs it." Rei smiled and opened the front door to their secluded, country home, Minako soon trailing behind.

Minako was wheezing. She bent in half and put her hands on her knees, bending over to catch her breath. The blonde got ready in less than ten minutes this morning, setting her all time record.

"I… got… ready… fast…" She told her best friend in between breaths. "We… got… to… hurry…"

At this Rei frowned, turning on her heels to proceed to the high school. It completely blew her mind that they were already in their fourth year, the last two going by so quickly. But, between Rei and Minako, there was hardly any free time. It all seemed to go lead right back to their home.

"Rei-chan!" Minako hollered, realizing her cousin had indeed, left her behind. The wind blew wildly, flapping her black uniform skirt around as she ran after Rei. Minako always liked the uniforms, but Rei on the other hand, did not. After school, Rei would always go into her room and change into a pair of sweat pants or jeans, both of them usually accompanied by a t-shirt. "Rei-chan, wait for me!"

Minako finally caught up, then realizing they were almost at school. To her, school was the greatest place on earth, considering that it was the one place she got to get away from home and she got to talk to someone that was not in any way, related to her. Not that she didn't like her family; it was just a change of pace.

However, the eldest of the group despised school. It wasn't the learning or people that made her hate it, but rather the place and the privilege of actually being there when her sister wasn't. Every time she opened the set of double doors leading to her class, a pang of guilt seemed to resonate throughout her chest, knowing she was experiencing something her sister could not.

As the school became within a sprinting distance, the tardy bell rang, making Minako make a mad dash towards the door. Rei just kept her normal pace, not in any hurry to feel the guilt. Whenever she felt it, the memory of that day, the day of the Curse, played through her mind like a movie. It never stopped. Everyday she participated in something Hotaru couldn't do, it played. Every moment in which she exchanged words with anyone, knowing Ami couldn't, it played. Each game she played in gym made her think of Makoto's poor health, making it play again. Every second she spent thinking about her future husband and kids, it played, knowing Minako could never have any of that. It was a relentless picture.

She had reached it, the set of doors that played the unwelcoming movie every time she cleared them. Rei stared at its silver finish, the metal giving off cold air and unwanted secrets. But, then she decided it was now or never, pushing the door wide open with both hands.

Her eyes then became a screen, flashing images of the past throughout her mind and sending a sharp pain into her head. She grabbed the sides of her skull with both hands, telling herself if she lasted a few more moments, it would all be ok.

Then as quickly as it started, it stopped. The pain, images, guilt… all disappeared, leaving her to face the empty hallway and long school day.

"Hota-chan, this is all for you." Rei whispered as she walked to her first class, head turned to the floor. "After all, it is the Phoenix's' fault for this curse…"

* * *

Minako was already in class, sitting in the front row beside a quiet boy and a Goth girl. When she arrived late, her teacher had simply told her to take a seat and begin the warm-up written on the board. The blonde was so relieved; she actually began to attempt the warm-up. However, one minute into it, she gave up.

The door squeaked open again, the whole class looking up towards it for the second time. Their math teacher, Mr. Yamasaki, groaned and turned his evil gaze to his newest late pupil, making the class eager to see who entered.

It was Rei, now recovered from her encounter in the hallway. She did not look to the teacher, or to anyone for that matter, and just kept a solid and calm face, walking to the only available desk in the back.

Mr. Yamasaki almost called her back to explain herself, but didn't. It was only the first day, and besides, he had a math course to teach.

"Alright students, turn to page thirty in your text books. We are starting at chapter two since you all learned chapter one last year…"

Minako turned slightly to look at her cousin, wanting to ask her why she was so behind. But, Mr. Yamasaki noticed, getting his pointer stick and smacking her desk with it, causing her to yelp in surprise. Needless to say, she didn't look at Rei for the rest of the lecture.

Rei sat in the back of the room, only sitting next to a small, brunette girl. She looked like she was really trying hard, her eyes set on the board as her hand scribbled down the notes. It made Rei smile a little, reminding her of how she used to be.

After a good half-hour lecture, Mr. Yamasaki told the class they could all visit and get to know one another, seeing that many of the student's did not know each other.

Almost immediately after this announcement, Minako turned to the Goth girl who resided next to her, sticking her hand out in the process. "Hello! My name is Taisen Minako!"

The Goth girl looked at Minako and smiled a bit, stroking her black braid as it draped over her shoulder. "You have very mysterious waves."

At this comment, Minako was taken aback, since she was expecting a name instead. "Oh, really? What is a wave?"

It was the Goth girl's turn to give a shocked look. "They do not scare you?"

Minako shook her head. "Nope! I don't even know what a 'wave' is!"

The Goth girl smiled, now reaching out to shake Minako's still, outstretched hand. "My name is Hanajima Saki."

Rei watched Minako converse with the Goth girl beside her, the blonde chatting idly away while the other just listened and gave the occasional nod. It made Rei feel better to see Minako happy.

"Um… miss?"

Rei turned around to see the brunette girl that sat in the desk beside her standing by her desk, her brown eyes reflecting question.

"My name is Honda Tohru! I have never seen you around before."

The black haired girl smiled, sitting up further in her chair. "It is a pleasure. My name is Taisen Rei."

"My friends would love to meet you!" Tohru informed her, giving Rei a huge smile and looking to the other side of the room. "They are over there! I would be so honored if you would meet them!"

For the first time in a while, a person actually confused the mind of Taisen Rei. It blew her mind that someone could be as carefree and happy as Tohru. "Alright."

The brunette smiled and began to walk to the side of the room where Tohru's friends stood, upon doing so, seeing Minako and the Goth girl as well.

"Everyone, this is Taisen Rei!" Tohru smiled as she introduced Rei to her four friends, starting with a tall blonde. "This is Uotani Arisa."

Arisa gave Rei a small smile and a quick nod, giving Rei the instant impression she was a tough girl.

"This is Sohma Kyo." She motioned to a boy with a thick mop of orange hair. He didn't say anything, giving Rei the feeling he wanted to be left alone.

"This is Sohma Yuki." She looked to the silver haired boy that stood to her left. He gave Rei a pleasant smile and nod.

"And this is Hanajima Saki!" She turned to the Goth girl, who stood next to Minako, her onyx eyes feeling as if they were pouring into her soul.

"Hey, Rei! Hana-chan was telling me about these thing's called 'waves'! Pretty sweet, huh?" Minako blurted, a big smile plastered to her face.

Tohru gave Rei a confused blink. "You two know each other?"

"Yes, Minako is my cousin."

"That's cool! Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun are cousins, too!" She responded, putting her hands together. "Do you have any other relatives that come here?"

Rei shook her head, feeling the guilt run over her again. "No. Everyone else is at home. They cannot attend school."

Tohru was about to say something, but was interjected by Hanajima.

"Rei-chan, you have very odd waves. They are full of guilt." She paused as Minako stared at her, mouth agape. "You seem to be burdened with something."

As Hanajima spoke, all of the color drained from Rei's face, even her amethyst eyes turning to a light purple. The past began to flash through her mind again, but only briefly, saving her from the usual pain and agony.

"Um, I have to go." She gripped her book bag in her hands. "It was nice meeting you all. Maybe I will see you again soon."

Before she could even get a reply, Rei turned from the group and walked out of the room, ducking her head as she went.

* * *

For the rest of the day, all Tohru could think about was Rei and the way she left them all earlier. Thought's of all the possibilities kept running through her head and consequently, aiding in her ignoring her friends.

"Tohru?" Uotani waved her hands in front of Tohru's face, trying to get her attention. "Hello? Are you in there?"

"Oh! I am so sorry!" Tohru exclaimed as she snapped out of her trance. "I did not mean to ignore you, Uo-chan!"

"It's alright. Are you ok?"

At this time, Hanajima came into the conversation. "Something is troubling you, Honda-san."

Tohru made a confused face as she picked up her book bag, ready to go back to the Sohma house. "In Algebra today, Rei-chan confused me."

"I felt a heavy burden emanating from her." Hanajima informed the group, smoothing her uniform with her hands. "Maybe she has a painful past."

Tohru didn't answer, only kept walking to the school entrance to wait for Yuki and Kyo. "Alright. Thank you, guys. I will see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Tohru!" Both of her best friends called out as they watched Tohru walk ahead, a smile donning their faces.

Tohru gave a friendly wave and continued to walk until she met Kyo and Yuki, both of which were silent.

"What's wrong with you?" Kyo questioned, digging his hands into his pockets.

"Yes, I must agree with Kyo. You seem troubled." Yuki surprising agreed, earning him a perplexed look from Tohru.

"I am just worried about Rei-chan."

Kyo huffed. "Why?"

"She seemed really sad today." Tohru looked ahead as they walked, keeping her eyes on the path. "I just hope I didn't do anything to hurt her feelings."

"I am sure you did nothing, Honda-san."

"I can't help but worry."

"Well," Kyo nodded ahead of them. "Why don't you ask her? She said they were cousins, right?"

Sure enough, Minako was walking down the same path they were, humming to herself as she did so.

"Mina-chan!" Tohru hollered, making the blonde turn around. Minako held a look of surprise, but waited for the trio to catch up to her, wanting to know what they wanted.

"Hello, Honda-san!" She smiled and said hello to the other boys as well. "Did you need something?"

"Well, yes… I was just wondering if Rei-chan is ok… She seemed troubled this morning."

"She's always like that."

"Oh."

"Yep!" Minako chirped as they continued to walk through the ripe forest. "She does have a lot on her shoulder's… the Phoenix always does…" After that last sentence, Minako stopped talking, realizing that she had already spoken too much to complete strangers.

"What did you say?" Kyo asked, catching her last words.

"Um, nothing!" Minako began to mentally bash herself, wanting to jump of a cliff to prevent further embarrassment.

It was Yuki's turn to question her. "Do you live way out here, Mina-chan?"

"Yeah. We all do."

Kyo quirked an eyebrow. "We?"

"We… as in Rei and I… and our dog." The cursed beauty began to subconsciously speed up, her face as red as a tomato.

"So, it is just you and Rei… alone?"

Minako began to give Kyo an over exaggerated laugh, covering her mouth with her free hand. "Haha… no! I said we have a dog!"

"Whatever."

"Well, this is my turn!" She spun into a thick mass of trees and plants, almost running through them. "See you later!"

The trio stopped and watched Minako mow down the plants, each of them with a look of confusion.

"She is weird." Kyo announced, walking ahead to leave Yuki and Tohru staring at the trees.

* * *

"Hello, children!" Shigure announced as Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki walked through the door. "You took a while getting home today."

Kyo gave Shigure a weird look and walked straight to his room, leaving him to question Tohru and Yuki.

"We ran into a friend coming home." Yuki told him, sitting on the couch and dropping his school bag.

"You ran into a friend in the forest?" Shigure questioned, not liking this new information at all. The surrounding acres all belonged to the Sohma's, meaning either a new trespasser was about, or their friend lived nearby. Either way, it was bad news.

"Yes. Her name is Taisen Minako. She lives in a house close by with her cousin, Taisen Rei."

Shigure stopped writing in his notebook and placed a hand underneath his chin. "Taisen, you say? That sounds so familiar. Maybe Hatori would know. I would rather tell him about a new resident being close by than Akito."

* * *

"YOU WHAT?!" Rei barked at Minako, staring at the leaves and sticks sticking out of her hair. Upon entering the Taisen household, Minako was greeted with Rei's impatient face and tapping foot, a look that could kill blazing in her eyes.

"I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"

"You knew you couldn't walk through the forest! Aya absolutely forbid it!" Rei grumbled as she crossed her arms. "There are reasons for rules, Minako. Now we have to tell her that people saw you coming this way."

Minako shrugged. "I just don't know what the big deal is. Who cares if they know where we live?"

"What if they see Hotaru with her eye's covered? Or Makoto barely alive and sitting in bed? How could we explain that?" Rei began to cool off, rubbing her temples to relieve some tension. "Take the other route from now on. I will talk to Aya."

* * *

**End Chapter 1**


	3. Chapter Two: You Cannot Believe Me

Here is the next chapter, finally! I know it has been forever... not really... but I finally updated. I got so much feedback, especially from **moifah** and **PhoenixIlliusion! **I really appreciate the reviews and suggestions/advice/amazing words of inspiration, from all of you. It means so much!

With the pairings... I am being very indecisive! So, I have decided to keep them all in my head for the moment and just give you some ideas of what is going on in my insane mind.

_1) I already know who Rei and Minako will be with. I am somewhat sure on Hota-chan, and still debating on Makoto and Ami._

_2) I decided that Hatori will be with someone, so now you know he is with one of the five._

_3) The outers and Usagi will be appearing briefly. But, they will not be paired with anyone. If any romance is shown with them, it will be UsagiMamoru. _

_4) Tohru will be with someone. I just love Tohru, I cannot leave her alone! So, just know I am not leaving her out._

Raiden will be leaving the DISCLAIMER. If you have any suggestions and/or feedback, review or message. Either is fine.

Raiden: I, nor Silence, own Fruits Basket or Sailor Moon. If we decide to make OC's, they are ours... not yours. If you use them without permission, I will find you, and chop off your hands.

Silence: That isn't very nice. Oh, and by the way, here are the ages of the FB people.

_Kyo and Yuki: 18_

_Tohru, Hanajima Saki, and Uotani Arisa: 17_

_Momiji and Haru: 17 (They are old for 3rd years)_

_Hatori, Ayame, Shigure: 23 (I made them younger so it wouldn't be as odd. If you don't like it, I don't care.)_

_Kagura: 17_

_Hiro, Megumi, and Kisa: 12_

_If I forgot anyone, I will post it next time. It is late, and I am sick._

Raiden: Try me! I have a knife!

* * *

**Chapter Two: You Cannot Believe Me**

Ami sat on her twin size bed in her room; her feet propped up and book in hand. Outside of the door, she could hear Rei and Aya yelling at each other in the living room, the relentless argument being heard throughout the Taisen home.

Two weeks ago, Minako had taken a different route home and went through the forest, running into three classmates on the way. By the law Aya forged, anything that happened out of the ordinary must be reported, this being no exception.

Since Rei was the eldest of them, it was her duty and responsibility to take charge of them. That included taking the blame for each and every mistake. _Rei has it so hard…_ Ami thought to herself, flipping another page of her book. _She has to watch over all of us and bear the burden of all of our curses._

She closed her book and sat it in her lap, looking over to her blank journal that sat open on her desk. _Sometimes, I even get selfish… Blaming her for this misfortune…_ Ami went to her desk and picked up her pencil, placing it to the journal paper. However, as she watched it glide over the white surface, no lines or articulate script emerged, just the same white, notebook paper. _Sometimes, I secretly blame her for everything… Blaming her for me not having a voice… I can't even write my thoughts down…_

_It get's lonely though, not being able to talk. Rei tried to create a loophole for me and teach me sign language, but every time she tried my brain would not allow my hands to copy hers. There is no way around this curse._

She closed her notebook and sat back down on her bed, picking up the book and beginning where she left off. It was then Ami heard a loud scream and a scolding from Aya.

* * *

Minako sat in the hallway, her body curled up against the wall and arms wrapped around her legs. Tears rolled down her face as she bit her skirt to keep from screaming, listening to Rei and Aya argue.

"Aya, a few weeks ago… Minako came home from school through the forest…" Rei said, before getting interrupted by a hard slap to her face.

"Rei, you know what I say…" Aya slapped Rei again, making Minako's tears come down harder. "You know what I say is to always be obeyed!"

"I apologize, Aya-san…"

There was a silence for a moment, making Minako catch her breath. She had always hated Aya, ever since they were young. Aya always found ways to tease everyone, reminding them of their curse and limits. She had especially liked to tease Rei, whom was the host of the Phoenix.

"You always cause problems." Aya told her, before walking out of the house, leaving Rei crumpled on the floor.

"You can come out, Minako."

Minako released her legs and peered around the corner, seeing Rei sitting on the floor. Her hair was tasseled slightly and her face looked distressed, but Minako knew well that Rei wasn't going to cry.

"Rei-chan… I am so sorry." Minako crawled to her friend and wrapped her in a hug, her eyes letting her tears freely fall. "I didn't mean to."

Rei returned her best friends hug, patting her back slightly as she did so. "It's ok Mina-chan. I am set to this fate."

Minako pulled away and looked at her black haired friend, a bruise emerging on her cheek. "Is that where Aya hit you?"

"Yeah."

The blonde tried to smile, but tears were still in overwhelming amounts. "I am so sorry."

"It really is ok." Rei began to stand to her feet, pulling Minako up as well. "I am hungry, though. I will start dinner."

* * *

Rei woke up the next morning, the sunlight shining through her window blinds onto her face. Her red bed sheets were wrapped tightly around her, twisted around her legs and arms. She wasn't usually a restless sleeper, but the previous day wasn't usual either.

Eventually, Rei went into the bathroom, examining her bruise that was now the size of a baseball. The first thought that crossed her mind was what excuse she would give to inquiring students at school. She knew they would notice, and she would have to come up with an answer.

"Rei-chan…" Minako knocked on Rei's door, her voice perky. "We have to leave in five minutes!"

"Alright." Was all Rei replied before putting on her white uniform top and black skirt, afterwards pulling on her socks and shoes. Her book bag was already by the front door, so all she had to do before she left was to grab it.

Minako waited eagerly by the door, smiling to herself as she rocked back and forth on her heels. "Oh, Rei-chan! Go see Hota-chan in her room. She said she wanted to see you."

"Oh, is she ok?"

"Yeah! She said she just wanted to see you!"

The eldest Taisen then began to make her way across the house, dragging her tired feet to Hotaru's room. They both had rooms beside each other, while Ami, Makoto, and Minako had the other wing. Rei felt as sister's, they should be closer.

"Hota…" Rei tapped on her door lightly with her knuckles. "Mina-chan said you needed me."

"Come in."

Opening Hotaru's door was always painful, for a hideous shriek of the hinges always sounded. It sent chills up Rei's spine, but to Hotaru, it was suiting.

Hotaru sat on the edge of her bed, her eyes free of blindfold. She wore her usual black dress and hose, her pale, amethyst eyes showing no feeling. Her hands were resting neatly in her lap as her feet dangled freely off of her bed.

"Be careful today. They are acting up again…"

"Who is?" Rei inched closer to her sister, sitting on the bed beside her. "Them?"

Hotaru nodded her head. "They seem a lot angrier today."

"Is Aya coming again?"

She turned to Rei. "I thought you could see the future."

At this Rei smiled, hugging her sister as she responded. "I don't choose what I see. It just comes and goes."

Hotaru smiled back at Rei, but worry still plagued the back of her mind. "Just be careful today."

"Ok. I will. I promise, Firefly."

* * *

Tohru looked at the blackboard with great confusion, the current math problem poking at her mind and rearranging her brain cells. Her head was beginning to ache, causing her to loose focus. It was then she looked over to the girl to her left.

She was a Yuki fan club member, although not at high enough seniority to cause her real damage yet. It seemed as if they were all out to get her, considering she did hang out with not just Yuki, but all of the Sohma's.

The boy that sat in front of the newer Yuki fan club inductee was turned around in his chair, whispering to her. They began to talk louder now, making it loud enough for Tohru to hear.

"I feel sorry for Tohru…" The boy whispered, making the fan club girl make a face.

"Why?"

"You see the black haired girl to her right?"

There was a brief silence, which, Tohru took for a nod. She didn't want to look directly at them and act like she eavesdropping, even though she really was.

"My friend Tazuki was at the airport a few weeks ago, and he told me that she ran into the airport telling everyone the plane was going to explode! No one believed her, and it actually did blow up!"

The girl gasped. "NO WAY!"

"Yeah, that's what he told me. But, personally… I think it was just a coincidence. Either way, she is still a freak!"

With this comment, Tohru stopped listening. She didn't want to listen to them be mean to Rei. She had always been very polite and seemed like a nice person. Tohru turned to see Rei staring at the blackboard, her eyes soon falling onto her bruise. _I wonder where that came from?_

Still, that one day when she left them completely confused Tohru. She had never experienced that, and therefore, did not know how to respond.

* * *

Taisen Rei walked slowly out of the school building, rubbing her head with her free hand. She had just finished her Physics homework in Study Hall, which in turn drained her.

Her feet hit the sidewalk heavily, her black school shoes hitting the concrete with every step. Her stomach began to churn and her skin began to crawl, chills running up and down her spine. Rei's hands clenched, knowing what was about to occur.

Rei dropped her bag and her eyes went blank, her body freezing as if she had been paused. Images spun throughout her mind, a terrible ending sending a shockwave of pain throughout her body.

"TOHRU!"

* * *

Tohru walked down the sidewalk, making her way towards the grocery store. Yuki had a student council meeting today so he couldn't walk her home like usual, but it was ok, Tohru didn't mind.

While she walked her mind went back to the things she heard the kids beside her say during class. Rei warned everyone about the plane explosion? How would she know about that?

Even if Rei did mysteriously know, Tohru didn't think she was a freak. She was just special, unique. Just like Yuki and Kyo, just like all of the Sohma's.

Tohru then turned her head and realized she was about to run head on into a cart full of oranges. She quickly turned and found herself planted in the middle of the road, the cart still intact and not a single orange misplaced.

"TOHRU!"

Startled by her name being shouted, Tohru quickly turned her head to see a red sports car speeding her way, not slowing down for a second. Before the young brunette could even scream, she felt a force shoving her back, rolling out of harms way.

After a moment, Tohru finally opened her eyes, making herself blink a few times to clear her vision. Did she almost get hit by a car? If so, who saved her?

"Honda-san…"

Tohru looked down to see Rei, her hair a mess and her forehead bleeding. It appeared as if she hit her head on the sidewalk when they fell.

"Oh my! Rei-chan, are you ok? Your head, it is bleeding!" Tohru tried to help Rei stand up, but the black haired girl just fell to her knees, her head clouding over and drowsiness overtaking her. "Rei-chan!"

"I…" Rei's eyes began to roll around in there sockets. "Will be… ok…"

"I have to get help!" Tohru stood Rei up again and threw her arms beneath Rei's, carrying all of her weight and walking to her home. "You have to stay awake! Talk to me!"

"Uh…" Rei slurred, closing her eyes as Tohru carried her off. Tohru figured she probably shouldn't have moved her, but, it seemed too late for that. Now she decided to just keep her awake.

"Rei-chan, you have to stay awake!" Tohru chided. "How did you know that was going to happen? Now one was on this street other than me."

Surprisingly to Tohru, Rei just began to laugh insanely, her head nodding back and forth as she did so. "You couldn't believe… me… Even if I… told you…"

* * *

**End of Chapter 2**


	4. Chapter Three: You Cannot Love Me

Yay! I have returned! Sorry for the slow updates on everything. I will eventually get to it all. Thank you to all who reviewed; **moifah, Angel-eyes56, FireyFlames, PhoenixIllusion, SessyLover180, and Jinx Chaos.** They mean the world! I really do appreciate them!

Alright, after much debate, Raiden and myself have decided the pairings. Here they are! I will review the ages afterwards...

**KyoTohru** (I finished reading the entire series, and after the ending, I CAN'T seperate them. I apologize to anyone who wanted him with someone else.)

**ReiHatori** (I just liked it. Like **Angel-eyes56** said... fire meets ice.)

**HotaruMomiji** (I can't explain it. I just think it's cute.)

**AmiYuki** (I WAS going to leave him with Machi... his manga gf/almost gf... but after many request and whatnot, I decided to not be a stiff and let poor Ami have him!)

**MakotoKureno** (As with Hotaru and Momiji, I just can't explain it.)

**MinakoHatsuharu** (Ok, this one was hard. I couldn't decide if I wanted her more with Haru or Ayame, but I picked Haru. I like him. We will just pretend that him and Rin/Isuzu did not get back together.)

**UsagiMamoru** (Shall not be seperated.)

**MichiruHaruka** (Same as above.)

**Ages:**

FB People:

Kyo and Yuki: 18

Tohru, Saki, Arisa, Haru, Momiji, Akito, and Kagura: 17

Hiro, Kisa, and Megumi: 12

Shigure, Hatori, Ayame, Ritsu, and Kureno: 23 (I made them younger, If you don't like it, too bad.)

SM People:

Rei: 18

Makoto, Minako, Ami, and Usagi: 17

Haruka, Setsuna, Michiru, and Mamoru: 21

OC's:

Aya: Freaking old.

**MUCHO IMPORTANTE!** Alright, the Outers plus Usagi & Mamoru will only be making sporadical appearances. I already have their curses picked out, and they will be made known to you all later. I will also be tweaking the FB timeline. Let's just say that the Sohma curse is already broken. In the manga, the curse was broken at the end of senior year in the spring, but here it is broken at the beginning of the term. Make sense, eh???

Raiden: It better!

Silence: Shut up!

Raiden: DISCLAIMER: I, nor Silence, own anything except for our own characters! Steal them and I will cause you bodily harm!

* * *

**_We Who Are Cursed_**

**Chapter Three: You Cannot Love Me**

Tohru stared at Rei as her unconscious form lay motionless on her bed, her eyes watering at the sight. When she had came home screaming for help, Kyo and Shigure had come to her aide, fearing something malevolent had befallen her. Instead, they were greeted with a spastic Tohru with a bleeding girl slung across her shoulder.

"Tohru, are you ok?" Kyo asked as he dashed forward, looking at the image before him. "What happened?"

Tohru's eyes were already full of tears and bloodshot. "She saved me! I almost got hit by a car and she shoved me out of the way!"

Kyo was hesitant to let Shigure take the wounded girl from Tohru, but decided that he ultimately didn't care. All he cared about was getting Tohru to settle down.

"I will put her in your room, Honda-san! Afterwards I will call Haa-san and he can come over to fix up your savior!"

They watched the bubbly man trot off to Tohru's room, almost tripping on the rug in the hallway.

"Ok, so please explain to me in more detail on what happened." Kyo took Tohru's hand and led her into the kitchen, where he got a rag and began cleaning her hands and arms, seeing that Tohru was entirely too shocked to do anything.

The brunette gulped and continued to stare mindlessly into space. "Well, I was on my way to the store and I began day dreaming, making myself almost crash into a cart full of oranges. I jumped out of the way and got into the road."

Kyo continued to scrub her hands and listen intently, secretly scolding the girl for putting herself in the situation.

"Well, I heard someone call my name so I turned around. Before I knew what was happening, a car was heading straight towards me. I was so scared I couldn't move. Then, right before the car hit me, Taisen-san jumped out and shoved me away, but she hit her head on the sidewalk." Tohru's eyes began to water again, tears falling slowly down her face. "I was the only person on that street. It was like she almost knew it was going to happen… just like the airport."

The orange haired boy quirked an eyebrow, looking at Tohru intently as he continued to scrub her palms. "What?"

* * *

Kyo had carried Tohru upstairs, taking her to his room, seeing that her bed was currently occupied. She had fallen asleep quickly, but fresh tearstains lined her cheeks. 

"Kyo, can I have a moment?"

The boy turned his head abruptly as he walked out of his room, seeing Hatori standing before Tohru's room. His black hair was kept in its usual style, keeping his partially blind eye hidden. He wore a white, dress shirt and black pants, his glasses in his hands as he cleaned them.

"Uh, sure. What do you want?"

"I just have some questions. I didn't know if Honda-san happened to disclose the events to you."

Kyo followed Hatori into Tohru's room, the unconscious girl lying in bed. They both sat in wooden chairs, Kyo propping his elbows on his knees and Hatori sitting upright and straight.

"Do you know exactly what happened?"

"Uh," Kyo massaged his head with one of his hands. "To make it short, Tohru almost got hit by a car and this girl saved her."

Hatori just nodded her head solemnly, staring off into space. "Is that all?"

"Well, she did say something about her being the only one on the street and this girl came out of nowhere. Tohru asked her how she knew and she said the girl just laughed and told her that she wouldn't believe her even if she told her." Kyo cleared his throat, but did not fail to notice Hatori stiffen. "She said it was just like the airport."

"The explosion?"

"Yeah. There is a rumor that she tried to warn everyone and that not a single person listened. It turns out she was right." Kyo sighed. "Now everyone at our school treats her like a freak."

Hatori stood up and went to the bed, looking down at his patient. He took his hand and turned her face, looking upon the black bruise that tainted her cheek. The black haired man heard Kyo get out of his chair, opening the door quietly.

"Before you leave, can you tell me her name?"

"Taisen Rei… why?"

"Nothing." Kyo looked at Hatori's back suspiciously but then walked out of the room, not able to see Hatori's eyes grow wide.

* * *

Minako lay with her boyfriend, Ren Yuma, his arms draped lovingly around her. They had been together secretly for six months and everything seemed great. That night he had taken her out to eat at her favorite restaurant and to a movie, not forgetting to offer her a rose as well. 

She could smell his scent and caring aura as they continued to lay there, her head lying on the soft pillow. In the back of her mind, she was really scared. Rei hadn't returned home after school that day and Hotaru had said 'they' were acting strangely. Anytime Hotaru said anything about 'them', Minako knew something was up, and it wasn't good.

She sighed and hugged her pillow tighter, stirring Ren awake on accident.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I am fine."

He laughed for a minute, drowsiness still evident in his voice. "You're lying."

She frowned in defeat, her face still turned away from him. Ren knew her to well. "Well, I am just tired and I have a math test tomorrow."

He yawned and snuggled closer to her, holding her waist lovingly. "It will be ok."

There was a brief silence, neither of them saying anything. Minako believed that Ren had fallen asleep, but she was sadly mistaken.

"Goodnight, Minako."

She smiled weakly, staring out of the bedroom window as she did so. "Goodnight, Ren."

He squeezed her and kissed the back of her head. "You know I love you, right?"

With these words, Minako felt a lump in her throat, an indescribable pain lingering in her chest. She closed her eyes as she heard him begin to snore again, only to open them to let a lone tear fall, knowing that what he said was a complete lie.

_No one can love me..._

* * *

Ami put down her book, closing it and turning off her desk light. It was just Makoto, Hotaru, and herself at home that night. Minako had told her that she wouldn't be there and Rei had just simply not come home. Hotaru was acting really strange, only sitting in her bed and talking to Ami when she went to go check on her. The girl knew that she couldn't reply, but Ami decided it was just the comfort of having someone to talk to. 

Before she went off to bed she decided to check on Makoto, wanting to make sure everything was in order. She opened her door slightly to see the brunette sleeping peacefully, a light smile donning her face.

_I am glad to see that you can still smile, Mako-chan… _

She lightly closed the door, making sure that not a sound was heard. As soon as she arrived in her bedroom, Ami collapsed onto the bed, wrapping her blankets around her cold body.

_Maybe I can smile in my sleep too..._

* * *

"Shigure…" Hatori opened the door to Shigure's study, the latter working on one of his new novels. "Does the name Taisen, mean anything to you?" 

Shigure put down his current project and propped his feet up on a stack of reference books, looking up to Hatori in question. "No. Do enlighten me."

Hatori began to pace the room slowly, holding his hands behind his back. The novelist watched him trample over his scattered papers and scraps, frowning a little.

"Do you remember our curse?"

"Uh, yeah…" Shigure made a face at Hatori, trying to make him feel insignificant. "The curse just got broken a few months ago. How could I forget?"

"Well, as you know, the Sohma family was the lineage that carried the curse of the Zodiac." Hatori sat down in a chair that sat obscurely in the corner. "The Taisen family was the lineage that carried the other curse…"

Shigure bolted from his chair, his eyes wide and mouth agape. "There is another curse?!"

Not really surprised by the sudden outburst, Hatori just nodded, making Shigure feel stupid. "It is the 'counter curse'… the curse that was really meant to be a curse. Our predicament was forged because of a bond we made with God so long ago, after the race to seek placement among the Zodiac. This curse was actually intended _to be_ a curse, passing down from generation to generation much like ours."

Shigure just stared, looking much like a small child did when being told a story.

"You are aware about the Rat's deceitful trick on the Cat, correct?"

"Duh."

Hatori cleared his throat but continued to speak soon after. "Well, another animal, one that did not participate in the race, knew about it… the Phoenix."

"Is that even an animal?"

"Well, is a Dragon an animal?"

Shigure scratched his head and then shook his head, confirming a 'no'. "No, but a seahorse is!"

Ignoring this comment, Hatori proceeded on with this tale, trying to keep Shigure's immaturity at bay. "The Phoenix overheard the Rat contemplating his plan and told its friends about it; the Firefly, the Swan, the Turtle, the Squirell, the Fish, the Bear, the Owl, and the Lizard. Those are the nine members of the Outcast."

"I think a swan would be suiting for me." Shigure thought aloud, but then realized that his friend was growing impatient. "Anyway, proceed!"

"The Rat found out that the Phoenix did this and confronted it, telling it that if it said a word, a terrible evil would befall it. The Phoenix didn't believe that the Rat could possibly uphold such a feat and it still gathered the other eight animals and decided to go to God. Unfortunately, they arrived just after the race, and the Rat had become the first official member of the Zodiac, which earned him great favor with God. The Phoenix, with the other eight animals, tried to explain what happened and that the Rat had been deceitful. The Rat then gained the upper hand, telling God they all spoke lies and that they were really trying to outsmart him."

"Ohh…."

"This made God angry, making him curse each one of them with a dreadful thing. Just like us they were cursed, but were forgotten until now." Hatori rubbed his forehead, looking at an impassive Shigure. "Was that a lot of information…?"

"Yeah."

A few moments passed, but then a loud scream could be heard radiating from the upper floor.

"WHERE THE HELL AM I?"

Shigure smiled and then began to wave off Hatori playfully. "It looks like your patient is up!"

* * *

**End of Chapter Three**


	5. Chapter Four: You Cannot Understand Me

OMG I UPDATED! AND I did it fast! Yay me! I had my friend Xx Lady Xiao xX help me with the next chapter (as in not this one) because it is a "special" chapter, which required a song in it. Needless to say, without her help, I wouldn't have gotten it done. I SUCK at song fics.

But, good news! I ALREADY have the next chapter DONE! WOOHOO! So, yeah...

**WARNING!** Oh, and this chapter will have a spoiler for the series... if you don't want to know them, avoid the line after Rei asks how he breaks the curse. I warned you, so don't kill me.

I will tell you which animals possess which senshi in the next chapter.

Thank you to **Angel-eyes56**, **Jinx Chaos**, **Firenze**, **Annayla**. **PhoenixIllusion**, **SessyLover180**, and **MakruTree** for reviewing! Thank you so much! Your reviews helped me got on my updates!

* * *

**_We Who Are Cursed_**

**Chapter Four: You Cannot Understand Me**

Hatori walked into Tohru's room, seeing his patient was indeed awake. She sat upright in bed, pulling the bed sheets around her as if she were scared. She glared at him for a moment, but then her face fell.

"Well, it is nice to see you are awake." Hatori walked over and began to check the bandages around her head, making sure they were still clean. "Tohru was really worried."

Rei didn't say anything at first, only looked at her bed. "How is she?" Her voice was quiet and serene, a deep contrast to the scream he heard before.

"She is alright. Kyo offered her his bed while you were out-"

"WAIT!" Rei interrupted, her face covered in a look of fear. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"Only for a night."

She began pushing back her covers, making her realize that she was wearing someone's pajamas. Deciding it was a trivial matter, she continued to pry her way out of bed.

"You can't leave. Not until later anyway."

Rei gave Hatori an incredulous look as she put her feet on the ground, still sitting on the edge of the bed. "Who are you to say what I can and can't do?"

"Actually, I am a doctor. My name is Sohma Hatori." He spoke, unfazed by Rei's hateful comment. "You have suffered from a concussion. Since you fell unconscious before and just now woke up, it is not safe to send you home just yet without evaluation."

The raven haired girl couldn't believe what she was hearing. If Aya found out she would probably murder her and what's worse, Hotaru was at home waiting for her.

"But, I have to go home!"

"You will in the morning. I need to make sure that you are stable enough." Hatori stood a few feet away, giving her a look that was beyond explaining. It was a mixture of care and irritation, which was something Rei had yet to experience until now. However, she was positive she had given Hotaru this look.

"You don't understand! I have to go home!" She challenged, bringing her hands to her face, accidentally touching the bruise Aya had given her, making her wince.

"We can make a phone call."

"NO!" Rei almost leaped out of her bed, but didn't due to her head growing dizzy. She fell back and landed into her pillows, keeping her back to Hatori. "Please don't do that…"

No one said anything, only silence lingered in the room. Outside the door he could hear Kyo, Tohru, and Yuki talking as they headed downstairs for lunch. Shigure had cooked today so Tohru could relax from the crazy event she had taken part in the day before.

"I won't call, but you will not be returning home until the morning. Shigure was almost tempted to take you to a hospital, but I knew you wouldn't want that."

Rei turned over and gave him a look, not really knowing how to take that comment. "You knew I wouldn't like a hospital?"

He only smiled as he went to the door, almost leaving before he spoke. "Of course. As the Phoenix, I could only assume you didn't want that type of attention."

He shut the door, leaving her completely and utterly speechless.

* * *

Minako began taking her long walk home, her hands shaking in remorse. She had broken up with Ren that morning, telling him that she knew he didn't love her. He just nodded his head and watched her leave, a frown staining his features.

"If he would have never said that…" Tears began to fall down her face. "If he could have kept his mouth shut!"

On the deserted street, Minako stood against the wall of a building, sliding down the side to crumple on the sidewalk. Her jeans were bunched up on the ends, mud stains visible on the seams. She poked at them as she wept; tear drops falling to the sidewalk.

"I wish I could be normal! I wish someone could love me… anyone…" She muttered to herself, her tears warm to the touch. "I am just so lonely."

After a few more minutes, Minako began to hear a light rumble, signaling that a thunder storm was approaching. Rain began to topple from the sky and pelt her face and body, soaking her as she picked herself up to walk home.

* * *

Hotaru lay on her bed, bundling up in her blanket. The soft, black, velvet was a comforting material; its fine feel and shine warming. She brought it close to her face as she listened to the rain and thunder, her soul coming at ease.

"Onee-san, I hope you come home soon." She whispered as she touched the window, her sight blinded by her bandana. "I miss you. You love me."

The young girl heard her door open, along with a light scuffle. Someone then grabbed her hand, massaging it with their thumb.

"How are you Hota-chan?" The voice belonged to Makoto, one that Hotaru hadn't heard in a while.

"Good, Mako-chan. How are you?"

She could her Makoto giggle for a minute before answering her question. "Really good today! I feel like a million bucks! When Minako or Rei come back and it stops raining, I am going to ask if they will go on a walk with me."

"I will go with you."

"You don't mind? I know that would mean you'd have to take off your bandana and all…"

Hotaru sat up and took off her bandana. She saw a woman in the corner, her face covered in blood and dress in shambles. But, Hotaru turned to Makoto and gave her a smile.

"I don't mind. Today is a happy day."

* * *

Ami walked the isles of the grocery store a few hours later, standing on her tip toes to reach a box of Cheerios. For some reason Hotaru always wanted them.

She pushed her cart further down the isle, going to the section with different noodles and rice. After grabbing a few packages, she moved on to get the milk.

Ami was very anal about what milk she bought, because to her each one tasted drastically different. Minako had always liked whole milk while Rei and Hotaru liked two percent. Ami however liked skim milk, so that is what she always chose when she did the shopping. If someone else happened to by something different, she was always willing to shell out the extra money to buy herself a gallon.

In truth, Ami was always like this towards everything. She liked everything to be in perfect order and to be the same. Changes were not things Ami favored. She could barely stand it when the Pepsi Company changed the look of their cans.

_Maybe it is the fact that I feel I have control over it all._ She thought to herself as she walked to the cashier, pushing her cart as she did so. _That's why when things change; I feel that I have lost that ability to control it. _

The woman behind the counter scanned her things and placed them in plastic sacks, chatting away to Ami.

"So, how are you today?"

All Ami could do was smile, making her feel rude. She always hated doing this to people.

"Did you get everything you need?"

She nodded, making the woman pause to look at her for a moment. Ami knew that people didn't know, and even if they did, they wouldn't understand.

"Have a nice day."

The navy haired girl picked up her bags, looking to the puddle ridden ground as she walked home.

* * *

Yuki walked down the street, almost to the grocery store. Since Tohru didn't quite make it the previous day and the house was still in an uproar, he volunteered to go for her.

As he approached however, a woman emerged from the sliding, glass doors, carrying three plastic, grocery bags. Her head was turned down as she trod through the newly formed puddles, navy blue hair being swept by the light breeze. Her white, knee length skirt flowed with the air and her blue shirt seemed to tame the chill, but sadness still lingered.

For a moment she looked up, her eyes catching within his. They both kept walking however, their arms sweeping across each other as they passed. With this brief touch they continued upon their chosen paths, but a distinguished word somehow stood out and lingered in Yuki's mind; silence.

* * *

A big window sat beside Rei's bed, showing off the bright sky. She had her knees drawn to her chest with her head resting on top, her mind going through so many things. How exactly did Hatori know about the curse? Or was it a coincidence? The latter was most doubtful and quickly dismissed.

She sighed in defeat. There was no doubt he knew. But the question still remained on how he knew. Only the Taisen family and Aya knew, along with a few stragglers, which included the Zodiac.

Was he apart of the Zodiac? That seemed reasonable. If he were any normal person, she doubted that he would openly call her the Phoenix. But, how would she ask? Aya had always forbid them to talk of the Zodiac.

Rei scoffed at this. It was her fault they were cursed, not the Zodiac. She had told Aya this once and earned herself a quick slap to the face. The angry woman was so easily provoked, and it seemed that every time Rei spoke it only brought on violence. So, naturally, she either didn't talk or she was violent and rude when she did.

Her thinking was quickly aborted as the door creaked open, making Rei turn her gaze to her new guest. It was Tohru, wearing a pink sundress and carrying a plate.

"Hello, Taisen-san." She smiled and walked in further, bringing the plate to Rei's bedside. "How are you feeling? I let you borrow some of my pajamas so you would be comfortable."

Rei gave her a weak smile, accepting the plate from her hands. "Thank you, Honda-san. I am in your debt."

"No! I owe you for saving my life!" Tohru squealed, giving Rei a look of horror. "You hurt yourself and saved me!"

Rei took a bite of the noodle dish Tohru had given her, giving her a moment before she could reply. "Let's just call it even then."

The door opened again, this time revealing Hatori with a glass of lemonade. Upon seeing this, Tohru exploded.

"Oh my goodness! I completely forgot about your drink, Taisen-san! Please forgive me!" Tohru went to Hatori and took the glass, taking it to the nightstand by Rei. "Thank you Hatori-kun for getting it for me!"

"You are welcome, Honda-san." He smiled and stepped fully into the room, revealing himself in the same suit he wore previously. "Can you give Taisen-san and I a moment? I need to discuss some things with her."

"Oh, ok!" Tohru jumped up, waving to Rei as she exited. "I'll be back later, Taisen-san!"

As the door shut, Rei could only stare in awe at the place where Tohru once stood, noodles falling off of her chop sticks. "She is a very happy person."

The hazel eyed man sighed, dragging a chair over by the bed and taking a seat. "Yes, Honda-san is what holds this house together."

"Do you live here, too? I never realized she lived in a house full of guys."

"No, I live somewhere else. Shigure, Kyo, and Yuki live here with her. Sometimes Momiji and Hatsuharu stay for a while."

_Wow, there are a lot of them._ Rei thought to herself. _I bet he is a Zodiac… _

"So, why did you call me the Phoenix earlier?" Rei questioned, wanting to get her answers immediately. She did not enjoy being kept in the dark.

He gave her a slight smirk as he looked at his watch. "That is what you are, is it not?"

Ok, he had to know. "Why did you say the Phoenix instead of one of the other Outcasts?"

"I heard about the airport rumor from Kyo and Tohru had said that you had come out of nowhere to save her." He turned his emotionless gaze to hers. "The Phoenix is the one who can see the future, correct? Or is my knowledge flawed?"

"No, you're right." Rei continued to eat her noodles. "You are a Zodiac aren't you?"

"I was."

Rei almost choked. Was?

"The curse was lifted. The Sohma are free now." He handed her the glass of lemonade. "But, as such, I did know of the Taisen curse."

"How did you break it?" Rei asked after she handed him back the glass. "How?"

He didn't really change his expression, expecting that she would want to know the answer. "Well, all of the Zodiac were alive at the same time, and the bond had weakened over time until eventually, it just left."

She looked down at her bowl of noodles, suddenly loosing her appetite. Rei knew that wouldn't be how their curse was broken, considering theirs was actually supposed to be a punishment.

"To bad ours doesn't work that way." There was a silence until Rei spoke again. "What Zodiac animal were you?"

"The Dragon," Hatori sighed, thinking about his transformation. "Well, it was supposed to be a dragon."

"Oh."

"Do the Outcasts transform?" He asked, only afterwards to regret referring to them as 'Outcasts'.

"No, we are only given terrible gifts," Rei continued to peer into her noodles, not lifting a hand to eat them. "And torrents of guilt."

"I am assuming that you are the one bearing the guilt?"

She nodded her head as her only answer, not wanting to discuss the matter further.

* * *

**End of Chapter Four**

Next time is a look into Rei and Hotaru's pasts. So, it is centered on them. Each senshi will get a chapter like this.


	6. Chapter Five: Hide and Seek

Woohoo! Here is Chapter 5! Like I said previously, this chapter is centered on Rei and Hota-chan. Each senshi will have a chapter like this, you know, all to themselves. This one is Rei's, and Hotaru will have here own later, from her point of view.

Also, my friend** Xx Lady Xiao xX** came over and helped me with this because it is a 'songfic' like chapter. She also introduced the song to me, and I thought it fit perfect! Thank Xiao-chan!

I am taking song request for each senshi, excluding Rei. I will pick pending on the past I have for them. Each 'senshi' chapter will be a 'songfic' like chapter. I don't know why I did it like this, but I did.

Raiden: I like songs...

Thank you to **Broken** **Gem**, **FireyFlames**, **PhoenixIllusion**, **Dani**, **Jinx** **Chaos**, **moifah**, **Firenze**, and **Angel-eyes56** for reviewing! They mean the world and make me want to update faster!

Raiden: Shut up! It is DISCLAIMER time, since you know, you forgot in the last chapter!

Silence: Oh, yeah...

Raiden: Neither I, nor Silence, own Sailor Moon or Fruits Basket. Got it? Good. ONWARD!

* * *

_**We Who Are Cursed**_

**Chapter Five: Hide and Seek**

Rei gently closed her eyes, wrapping the bed sheets around her. Her mind was wondering, drifting back to her home and sister, all of her family worried about her. She would have called, but feared that Aya would just happen to be there and answer. The fact that she was in the Sohma home, the homestead of the Zodiac's, was something she could not explain to that woman.

After her conversation with Hatori today she had been through a lot of thinking and reflecting, her mind in search of anything to possibly break their curse. Of course, the effort was futile, but it was worth a shot.

Hotaru, whom carried the soul of the Firefly, was on her mind for the most part. She was always worried about her sister. Rei knew she was as alone as she was, no one wanting to listen to or to understand her.

But all of the Outcasts were that way. Minako, the Swan, had tried to make as many friends as possible, but that never seemed to fulfill the wants of her heart. She longed for love, a feeling that no one could possibly give to her.

Makoto, the Squirrel, was always sick, but it was up and down. Some days she would be so impassive that you thought she was dead, and others she would be bouncing off the walls. Still, the days where she was sick were more bountiful.

Ami, the Owl, always looked sad. Rei had only seen her smile two times since she had known her. Once was when her favorite book series had a happy ending and the other was when Minako ran into the coffee table.

The other members of the Outcasts were barely known to her, considering they lived at Aya's house. Haruka the Bear, Michiru the Fish, Setsuna the Lizard, and Usagi the Turtle, each of them a mystery. She didn't even know their curses.

Then there was the Phoenix, the worst of them all. It was her fault, all her fault.

She bundled up closer in her blankets, soon falling into a restless slumber.

* * *

_Where are we?_

Rei and Hotaru stood in the living room, the eldest holding her sister's hand. They looked around the empty room, watching men move out the boxes. Hotaru gasped a little, making Rei realize what she had seen. She took off her own bandana and tied across Hotaru's eyes, feeling the girl relax a little.

_What the hell is going on?_

All they could do was stare at the room that was once their mother's sewing room. They were so used to seeing the fabric rolls and sewing machines everywhere, baskets of needles and pin cushions. The racks where their mother hung her projects was now gone, along with the shelf that held her models.

_The dust has only just begun to form_

_Crop circles in the carpet_

The room was barren. Nothing was how it used to be. Everything was taken away. The two girls had no memory left of their mother. Everything that was hers was taken away, their father not wanting any part of it.

Rei squeezed Hotaru's hand, trying to comfort her sister. She knew she wasn't any good at being sympathetic, so just kept doing what she had always done.

_Sinking, feeling_

Rei led them to their father's study, his office in disarray. Books lay open and tattered on the ground, stray papers flying in the wind let in by the open window. She could see her father sitting in a chair in front of the window, his head bowed and tears falling to the ground.

_Spin me round again_

_And rub my eyes_

The older Taisen left Hotaru by the door and went to her father's side, tapping his shoulder softly. He wouldn't look at her, only looked at the floor.

"Papa?"

"What?" His tone was harsh and cruel, making Rei step away from him.

_This can't be happening_

"Why did they take mama's stuff away?"

He did not reply, only continued to stare at the floor. She was not about to ask again. He was obviously upset and too unstable to talk about it. Taking Hotaru's hand, she led them both out of the room.

_When busy streets a mess with people_

_Would stop to hold their head's heavy_

As she led Hotaru around the she looked around the halls and doorways, a feeling of déjà vu coming over her. She could see Hotaru, her dad, and herself running around playing with their mama in the rocking chair in the living room.

_Hide and seek_

_Trains and sewing machines_

They would all laugh and joke around, everything seemed ok. It was all a dream come true. There dad would come home from work and let Hotaru and Rei help him build model trains and their mom would watch from a distance, knitting some sort of clothing.

Rei had seen the empty house in a vision, and at the time, didn't know what it meant. Now she knew all too well what it meant. It was what was happening now.

_All those years_

_They were here first_

Hotaru followed Rei obediently; walking along the same path her sister had led her many times. She was far too young to understand what was going on, but could indeed feel that something was different. Everything seemed so tense, and her mom and dad weren't there.

_Oily marks appear on walls_

_Where pleasure moment's hung before the takeover_

Everything seemed to happen so quickly. One day everything was going great. No one had suspected anything of her. She seemed happy and content with everything. Now that she was gone, everything about her was gone too. Each picture with her in it was taken down, as well as the ones with either Rei or Hotaru. All the clothes she made them were thrown in the trash and all the toys she bought them were given away. They had nothing left of their mother.

_The sweeping insensitivity of this still life_

Rei and Hotaru stayed in their room most of the time. They resorted playing with crayons and markers, considering that it was the only thing for entertainment they had left.

Their father hardly noticed them. When Rei would tell him that she and Hotaru were hungry, he would just throw a box of Cheerio's in their direction and walk away, leaving them there alone.

_Hide and seek_

_Trains and sewing machines_

"Onee-san?" Hotaru asked one day while picking at her Cheerio's, her eyes still covered with the same bandana Rei had given her.

"Yeah?"

She bit a few pieces of cereal and swallowed, taking a sip of the water bottle they shared. "Does papa love us anymore?"

_Blood and tears_

_They were here first_

Rei was surprised at Hotaru's question. Half of her wanted to lie to keep her happy, but the other half knew it wasn't right. She grabbed Hotaru's hand and squeezed it, giving her a small smile.

"I love you, Hota-chan. That is all that matter's right now."

The little girl understood what she meant. She could feel the sadness lingering in their home. At night, she always wondered if some kind soul would make it all go away.

_Mmmm, whatcha say?_

_Mmmm, that you only meant well?_

_Well of course you did_

Rei and Hotaru stood before the door of a new home, suitcases in their hands. An older woman walked out the front door, wearing a colorful kimono and a lot of eyeliner. She came and hugged their father, giving him a smile.

"They will fit in well with the other Outcasts. Do not worry."

He scoffed, brushing the woman off. "I wouldn't worry anyway. They are the reason she left me. She couldn't stand her own children."

Rei glanced over at Hotaru, seeing her head turned down. Behind her bandana she could imagine Hotaru crying, her hand shaking with silent sobs.

"Especially that one," He pointed at Rei, making her look at her feet. "She looks almost identical to Aoi. She will grow up to be just like her."

With that their father walked away, not even saying a final goodbye to his children.

_Mmmm, whatcha say?_

_Mmmm, that it's all for the best?_

_Of course it is_

Hotaru dropped her suitcases, wrapping her arms around Rei. She began to cry uncontrollably, soaking her bandana.

"Onee-san, you were right. You love me, and that is all that matters."

Rei then dropped her belongings, putting her comforting arms around her sister. "You're right. That is all that matters."

_Mmmm, whatcha say?_

_Mmmm, that it's just what we need_

_You decided this_

"We don't need him Hotaru." She comforted. "We will go on without him. We will grow up to be happy."

The small girl nodded in Rei's arms, her tears staining Rei's shirt. Her small hands were rubbing Rei's back, trying to relax.

_Mmmm, whatcha say?_

_Mmmm, what did she say?_

"I can't be here anymore!" Aoi screamed at Rei and Hotaru's father, picking up her purse and walking to the door.

"What is going on? What is wrong with you?"

"Them!" She pointed to the two little girls who sat cowering in a corner. "I can't raise two possessed children!"

With that she walked out, leaving all three of them in uncomfortable silence.

"Daddy? Is mommy coming back?" Hotaru asked, walking up to his leg and caressing it.

"It will all be ok, girls." He rubbed Hotaru's head, his eyes impassive as he stared at the place his wife once stood. "It will all be ok."

_Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth_

Rei remembered it like it happened yesterday, the fight embedded in her mind forever. She hugged her sister longer, grief coming to her quickly. It was not going to be ok.

_Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cutouts_

"It's going to be ok, girls." Aya had told them as she guided them inside the house, both of their faces showing pain. "Here you will be with other kids like you."

Hotaru walked inside first, leaving Rei and Aya to follow. Before Rei got inside however, Aya stopped her.

"Soon enough you will see that it is indeed your fault. Everything is the Phoenix's fault."

_Speak no feeling_

_No, I don't believe you_

* * *

Rei woke up, sweat lining her brow and her mind tired. She reached to touch her face, warm liquid greeting her. Tears began to roll down her face, the past burning her soul. 

"It's all my fault…" She grieved quietly, putting her head in her hands. "I caused it all…"

The door opened slowly, Hatori poking his head inside. He saw her sad expression and came to her bedside, holding a glass of water in his hands.

"You were screaming." He handed her the water which she drank greedily. "I figured you were having a bad dream. It is a normal occurrence when you get a concussion."

Rei handed him the half full glass and he sat it on the counter, her eyes staring at her white bed sheets.

"No. I have this nightmare all the time."

There was a silence. Hatori didn't really know how to respond to this behavior. When he was with Kana, she was never upset until the problem with Akito, and with that incident he had to erase her memories. He decided the best thing to do was to listen.

"It happened so long ago. My mom left my father, sister, and I because Hotaru and I are cursed." She laughed a little, wiping some more tears away with her hand. "If that wasn't enough, my father deserted us too. He left us at Aya's, only telling me that I am going to be exactly like my mother."

Hatori knew exactly what she was talking about. A lot of the people possessed by the Zodiac were rejected by their parents. Not everyone was born into a loving home like Hiro. However, he had no idea who this Aya person was, and just assumed it was their guardian.

"I will never be like her. I am going to love my children!" She finally broke down, tears cascading down her face like waterfalls. She brought her hands to her face to cover it, trying to wipe away the tears. Normally she would scold herself for such behavior, but now nothing else mattered. It was all too painful.

"I am going to love my children…"

So for a while more she cried, Hatori just sitting there to listen. She eventually fell asleep again, leaving him alone. However, before he went back to sleep on the couch, he refilled her glass of water.

* * *

Ok, I know... BORING! But, the next chapter will be more eventful... I just feel that each senshi should get a chapter to explain their background and what not. You know, like what happened in Fruits Basket. We know what happened to each of them, so, we should now what happened to the 'Outcasts' too, right???

Remember, taking song request. May or may not use them. I think the next one will be either Hotaru or Ami.

Raiden: I hate romance! Death and blood for the masses!


	7. Chapter Six: You Cannot Help Me

Ok, so it is 3 o'clock in the morning and I am super tired. But, being the nice person that I am, I stayed up writing the next TWO chapters. Yes, I said two.

This chapter is a normal one, but the next one is another 'special chapter', featuring Minako. I know I said either Ami or Hotaru was going to be next, but, I changed my mind!

Thank you to **PhoenixIllusion**, **Angel-eyes56**, **Jinx** **Chaos**, **Broken** **Gem**, **Spirit of the Dead,** **Moi Fah**, **SessyLover180**, **Ancient** **Death**, and **Kuroihitomi** for reviewing! I would also like to say to **Kuroihitomi** that I am going to use the song you requested, and if you would like to know for which scout, just let me know!

Raiden: DISCLAIMER!

Silence: Oh, yeah... I always forget those...

DISCLAIMER: Neither Raiden nor myself own Fruits Basket or Sailor Moon. There... happy?

* * *

_**We Who are Cursed**_

**Chapter Six: You Cannot Help Me**

Rei awoke the next day, her head pounding profusely. She turned in her bed, wrapping the covers around her cold body. Now that she was facing the window, she could see it was raining again.

The room was cold, an icy bite picking at her skin. Rain drops softly pelted the glass, each drop sending a pain into her skull. Bringing her hand to her forehead she let out a deep exhale as her fingers grazed her gash, making her inwardly wince.

"I need to get home…" She swung her legs over the bedside, her toes touching to wooden floor. "Hotaru needs me home."

As she shifted her weight fully onto her feet her knees collapsed, making her catch herself on the bed. Muttering curses underneath her breath she pushed herself up again, this time standing straight.

Her eyes went to the folded clothes on the armchair in the corner, a smile creeping across her face.

"Tohru, you are too nice for your own good."

Taking the clothes and changing back into her school uniform, Rei folded the pajamas she wore into a neat pile, placing them where her uniform once was. _There, now I can leave…_

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, making her slowly walk over to the wooden barricade. Placing her weary hand on the knob and turning it slowly, she looked through a small crack before opening it widely, unsure of whom the visitor was.

Through the crack she saw the boy, Yuki standing. He wore his school uniform, the black and white ensemble reminding her of how many days she was absent.

"Good morning, Taisen-san."He spoke softly, giving her a light smile as he looked upon his classmate. To him she looked just as helpless as she did at school, a heavy burden dripping from her shoulders. "Honda-san is downstairs making breakfast if you would like to join us."

After giving him a small smile she nodded, closing the door behind her as they headed down the stairs. He walked a few strides in front of her, his steps light and quiet. As they made their way to the kitchen, one question lingered in her mind.

Which animal of the zodiac was he?

Upon their arrival, she saw that Kyo and Hatori had already taken their seats at the opposite ends of the table. Kyo and Tohru seemed to be carrying on a conversation between the kitchen and the table, and Hatori read the newspaper.

Wait, was Kyo a member of the Zodiac, too? Was Tohru as well?

She took the seat beside Hatori, Yuki sitting beside her. So many questions plagued her that it was beginning to become unbearable. Who exactly was the former Zodiac? Was Hotaru ok? Rei let out a frustrated sigh, earning a look from Hatori as he turned his gaze from his newspaper.

"Taisen-san, are you alright?"

Rei propped her head on top of her hands, which presently were balled in a fist and her elbows rested on the table top.

"No."

Hatori gave her a surprised look, considering he was not exactly familiar with the personality and temper of the black haired woman. He watched her stir her tea for a moment before replying.

"Is there anything we can help you with, Taisen-san?"

"Well, I actually do have a question…"

This response attracted the rest of the room occupant's attention, including Tohru, who had just arrived from the kitchen with a tray in her hands.

"Alright, I shall answer with the best of my ability."

"Oh, I think you will be able too." She raised her tea cup to her lips and took a sip, the warm liquid running down her throat making her feel better. As she placed her cup back onto the wooden surface, she noticed everyone staring.

"Were all of you members of the Zodiac?"

* * *

Ami sighed as she placed her book down on the coffee table, the living room couch a soft comfort to her worn out body. She had been taking care of Makoto, whom had taken ill again, all morning long.

Hotaru seemed to be upset, but would not let it on for a while if she thought anyone noticed. After the countless days she went without her eye covering, she began to wear it again, sitting in her room until supper.

Her blue eyes went to the door, a rare scowl coming to her face. Where was Rei? She hadn't been home for three days now, and it appeared as though Hotaru would collapse soon. Did she not care?

Minako was also acting strange. Her usual light and glow seemed to have disappeared along with the sun, only rain appearing.

Despite all this, she picked up her book again, but not before glancing back at the door.

* * *

Minako walked down the sidewalk, umbrella in hand. She twirled it as she walked, a smile not apparent. Rain drops pelted the blue umbrella, little waterfalls cascading around her.

The school wasn't very far now, the double door entrance visible. Behind her Cerulean eyes tears stood, pushing at the back of her conscience. Would she see Ren today?

As if fate heard her and decided to be cruel, Ren came walking out of the school doors, his eyes stern on the blonde. Her breathing seemed to have stopped, choking her on pure emotion. His brown eyes seemed to be locked onto her, a frown standing out on his face.

"Hello, Ren." She managed to say, her words barely coming out in a whisper. He gave her a cold scowl and then turned his back, walking back into the school.

No action could have inflicted as much pain as this, ignoring her simple greeting and turning his back. She dropped her bag and her open umbrella, turning on her heels and running.

She didn't really have a destination in mind, but she couldn't find it in herself to go back. Minako kept going until she collapsed on the side of the school, her back sliding down the brick.

Rain poured from the Heaven's, drenching her school uniform and hair. Her tears seemed to blend in with the rain, but her feelings did not.

She buried her head into her knees, which she now had pulled up to her chest. Her hair created a curtain around her, making her feel more alone than she already felt.

Minako gasped as she felt a touch on her shoulder, not expecting anyone to come for her. She lifted her head from her knees, turning up to see a boy. He looked around her age, but his face held much compassion, something most men seemed to lack.

Water dripped from the tips of his silver hair and soaked the black hair that hung at the nape of his neck. His brown eyes looked deep into her own as he held out a gloved hand to her, a sad expression on his face.

Not believing the kindness this boy was showing her, Minako reached out, grasping his hand, letting the boy pull her to her feet and hand her the book bag she had dropped on the ground.

* * *

After Rei's blunt question, many things occurred in the kitchen of the Sohma home. Tohru, whom held their breakfast on her tray, dropped it, making the food go everywhere. Kyo gave Rei the most incredulous look she had ever seen, and Yuki dropped his tea cup, the ceramic busting into a million pieces. Only Hatori looked remotely calm.

"Um, excuse me?" Yuki squeaked, looking down at the mess he made. "Did I hear you correctly?"

"Were you a Zodiac?" Rei asked, not appreciating the question he asked her, which in the fiery girls opinion, made her look dumb.

"Wait, how do you know about the Zodiac?" Kyo charged, afterwards turning his gaze to the still, dumbfounded Tohru. "No one knows about the Zodiac, except for those who were the Zodiac!"

"That, my friend, is false." Hatori informed the orange haired boy, whose face fell into confusion. "There is one other group that knows of the Zodiac."

"What group would that be?"

"The 'Outcasts'."

Tohru bent down and began to pick up the spilt food, sweeping the spoiled contents onto the tray. "The Outcasts? Who are they?"

Hatori looked over to Rei, who just sat sipping on her tea. "Well, they are cursed as well."

Yuki raised an eyebrow as he looked over to Rei, not exactly comprehending this information. "Are you an Outcast, then?"

"Yes, I am."

There was a brief silence, only Tohru picking up the food and pieces of broken ceramic hitting the tray making any noise.

"Care to explain?"

Hatori folded his newspaper and sat it in front of him, getting himself ready for the conversation. He had not expected for Rei to be so upfront, but then again, Rei was unpredictable. He had known her for three days, and in that time, figured out nothing about her.

"I think I shall do that." Hatori answered and looked at his wrist watch. "But, don't expect to be at school on time."

"Alright." Everyone responded, Tohru a little hesitant. The brunette did hate to miss class, but this information was too interesting to pass up.

"Everyone here is familiar with the story of the trick the Rat of the Zodiac played on the Cat, correct?"

There were nods from around the table, excluding Rei, who only continued to drink her tea in silence. She listened as Hatori told them the story, her mind going back and thinking of all the bad things she had caused. Why did she make everything go wrong?

"So, the Rat… was the cause of the 'Outcasts' getting cursed?" Yuki asked at the end of Hatori's tale, a look of sadness on his face.

No one answered that question, because it was quite obvious that he was right. The tension in the room grew tense, until Hatori decided to speak again, fearing what else was to come.

"I think it's time you all went to school. You are already late as it is."

As Kyo, Tohru, and Yuki got up to get there bags, their stomachs still empty, Rei remained sitting, her gaze enraptured by the empty tea cup.

"Are you not going to school, Taisen-san?" Tohru asked as she waited for Kyo by the door.

"No, I need to go home." Rei now stood and held her empty dish, her body headed for the kitchen. "I will see you all later though."

While she cleaned her mess she could faintly hear someone snoring, which she assumed was the other male in the household, Shigure. When she switched off the faucet she heard the front door close, signaling that her new acquaintances had just departed.

"Are you about to head home, Taisen-san?" A voice spoke from behind her. She turned to see Hatori standing by the kitchen door, and gave him a small nod. "I shall walk you home then."

* * *

As they walked toward her house, Rei's mind had not rested, so many thought's lingering from a few moment's before. She had still not found out which animal of the Zodiac each of them were. Not that it mattered, considering the curse was broken, but just to fulfill her general curiosity.

Hatori walked beside her, a briefcase in his hand. He wasn't wearing a suit today, but still was dressed nicely in a pair of slacks and a dress shirt. Rei could only wonder how he could wear that stuff all the time.

"Do more Outcasts live with you Taisen-san?" He asked as they proceeded on, his brown dress shoes hitting the pavement. "If you don't mind me asking."

"No, I don't mind." She gave him a caring look and then turned her gaze straight ahead again. "But, you can just call me Rei."

"Alright."

"Well, my sister and three cousins live with me. Two of them are 'distant cousins' I suppose, but I have grown up with them as sisters."

Hatori could only begin to imagine how hectic and difficult her life must be. After hearing her sad tale the night before, he could honestly say that she had faced more hardships than he had. He did have to erase Kana's memories, however, living without your first love can hardly compare to living without the love of you parent's. Unlike most of the Zodiac, that was something he didn't have to experience.

"Have you always lived with the other member's of the Zodiac?" Rei's question broke his thoughts, bringing him back to reality.

"Yes. Shigure, Ayame, and I were much like your household. We are like brothers. Even though the other two are imbecile's…"

After he said this he heard Rei laugh, making him look over to his companion. It was then he realized that he had never seen her smile.

"Sorry, Hatori-san. I wasn't meaning to be rude if I came off that way." She said between her laughs.

"Oh, no… you weren't. I just realized that this is the first time I have seen you smile since I have known you."

Surprised by his response, Rei smiled again, now noticing that they were almost to the gate that blocked the entrance to her door. "Yeah, I don't do it much."

They had arrived at the entrance to her house, her hand on the handle of the gate. He stood to the side and looked down to her, giving her a smile of his own. "Well, it suits you."

"Thank you." She pushed open the gate a little and then looked back to Hatori. "I appreciate you taking care of me, Hatori-san."

"It was no problem." He rubbed the back of his head. "You saved Tohru's life."

She was about to walk through the metal barricade, but stopped before she went completely through. "Also, thank you for walking me home."

"Thank you for letting me." He turned his head a bit, the wind catching in his black locks. "I hope to see you soon."

"You as well."

They stared at each other for a moment before parting ways, Rei to her home and Hatori to his. However, Hatori stopped walking along the path and looked back to Rei's retreating figure, watching her as she walked through the front door.

"Goodbye, Rei."

* * *

**End of Chapter Six**

Soo... Rei and Hatori moments, eh? Well, no worries... the next chapter is all Minako and Hatsuharu. PROMISE! Well, I already wrote it, so I guess I can't change my mind!


	8. Chapter Seven: Ordinary Day

Well, here is Minako's 'special chapter'. I didn't make it solely about her past, because I didn't feel like it, but I made it to where it described her past as she meets Hatsuharu. So, the entire chappy is about her and Haru, like Rei's was with her, Hota, and Hatori.

Anyway, I have half of the next chapter typed. **Xx Lady Xiao xX** and myself are writing a fic together called, Sweet Sixteen, which is in the SM category. So, check it out. It is SenshiShittenou.

Thank you to **SessyLover180**, **Jinx** **Chaos**, **Ancient Death**, **Spirit of the Dead**, **PhoenixIllusion**, **Kuroihitomi**, **zodiac** **dragonHatori**, **Angel-eyes56**, **Boingy**, and **MakruTree** for reviewing! To answer **Kuroihitomi**: It will be for Ami. I think that should be ok, no?

Raiden: Death and destruction...

Silence: Shut the hell up you twit. Do the DISCLAIMER.

Raiden: Oh... well, neither Silence or myself own Sailor Moon or Fruits Basket... which includes the characters and everything. Also, neither of us own the song, Ordinary Day. Vanessa Carlton owns that. There, happy?

Silence: Very.

* * *

**_We Who Are Cursed_**

**Chapter Seven: Ordinary Day**

Minako walked through the rain, her book bag in one hand and the boys hand in the other. Her shoes dug into the wet Earth as she walked along, the boy leading the way. She was utterly perplexed by his actions, but she liked them all the same.

_Just a day_

_Just an ordinary day_

_Just trying to get by_

As the rain hit her and ran down her face, she looked at her savior. He wore the usual black school uniform, his ears lined with silver hoops. His touch was gentle, his grip on her never faltering.

Who exactly was this boy?

_Just a boy_

_Just an ordinary boy_

_But he was looking to the sky_

As they trekked along in silence, her mind wandered to the many different aspects of her life. The day she met Rei and Hotaru, the days she lay alone in the quiet, but most of all, the days where her heart was broken. Life had never been fair to the blonde, her entire existence being one of loneliness and exile.

As a young child she was never truly a part of the family, her mother ignoring her entire presence and her father following suit. Everyday she would sit alone, eat alone, and think alone. No one seeming to notice she was there.

_And as he asked if_

_I would come along_

_I started to realize_

But, as soon as her world seemed to crumble again, this boy, whom she had never met, came to her, offering her a hand. It wasn't a gesture of pity, his eyes told a different story. It was a caring hand, a loving offering of help.

In all honesty, she had never been shone that kind of love in her entire life. Sure, her old boyfriends had given her things and hugged her and all, but nothing as kind as this single thing. They had never given her a hand.

_That everyday he find's _

_Just what he's looking for_

_Like a shooting star, he shine's_

He walked her to the covering over the school's main entrance, not letting go of her hand for a second. He stared deeper into her eyes and brought up his free hand, wiping away her tears with his thumb.

"Are you ok?"

These words were all it took, more tears pouring from her tear ducts. She turned her head down, watching as the droplets ran off of her cheek and onto the pavement.

"No."

_And he said take my hand_

_Live while you can_

_Don't you feel the dreams are right in the palm of your hand?_

As if nothing could shock her more, the boy wrapped his arms around her, patting her back softly.

"You shouldn't cry. Nothing or no one should make you cry."

She placed her head onto his chest, her sobs echoing off. She couldn't describe the emotion's she was feeling, because this one was completely new. It was like her mind had finally gone to ease, a burden lifted from her shoulders. This nameless burden had been weighing her down, and now, it was starting to disappear.

No one had ever made her feel like this.

_And as he spoke, he spoke ordinary words_

_Although they did not feel, no_

_For I felt what I had not felt before_

"Why do you care? No one else does." She asked as she choked on her tears, her head still buried in his chest. Minako hadn't meant to sound harsh if she did, but she was just curious. No one had ever taken the time to pick her up when she had fallen.

"Because, I once felt like you do now." He pulled away from her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "If I had not had someone to pick me up, or my family, my life would still be in ruins."

Minako looked up at him as he talked, his face still covered in care. He hadn't been terse or acted frustrated with her yet.

"I learned that sometimes, everyone needs a helping hand."

_You'd swear those words could heal_

_As I looked up into those eyes_

_His vision borrows mine_

With those few words, he gave a warm smile, which sent a tingle up Minako's spine. How could this precious human being have experienced grief, and still care so much?

"Thank you." Minako returned the smile, giving him a grin that hadn't been used in the past few hours.

"For?" He asked, giving her a confused look.

"Caring enough to pick me up."

_And to know he's no stranger_

_For I feel I've held him for all of time_

"Who are you?"

A small girl, blonde hair and blue eyes, looked up to a woman, her face full of grief. The older woman looked down at the small child, her hands on her hips.

"Minako. Don't you remember me, mother?"

"Oh, yeah…" The woman turned around and began washing dishes in the sink, the dishes clattering together and the faucet shooting out water. "Sorry. You slipped my mind."

The younger Minako looked to her feet, her mind in a bunch. Did her mother say she slipped her mind?

With this, another question protruded from her fragile mind.

Do you love me mother?

_And he said take my hand_

_Live while you can_

_Don't you feel the dreams are right in the palm of your hand?_

_In the palm of your hand…_

The two teenagers shared a moment of unspoken silence, their eyes glued onto each other. The boy still had his hands on Minako's shoulders, his hands still having their loving grasp.

"You could have walked on by and forgotten about me. But, for some reason, you didn't. I thank you for that."

He dropped his arms now, both of them at his sides. He gave Minako a light smile, as she smiled back.

"I don't think anyone should be forgotten."

_Please come with me, see what I see_

_Touch the stars for time will not flee_

_Time will not flee_

_Can you see?_

A bell resounded from the school building, but neither of them seemed to notice. They were each too enraptured in each other's gaze to care. One's thoughts revolved around the surprise of being found, while the other's was curious as to how she could have been forgotten.

"It appears that we are late." He smiled while giving a smile laugh, holding out his hand once more. "Nice to meet you…?"

"Minako." She reached and grasped his hand. "Taisen Minako."

"Sohma Hatsuharu." He relinquished his grip and turned to the door. "I hope to see you soon."

Only her face answered his comment as he walked through the double doors, a beaming Minako left on the steps. Nothing more wonderful could have happened to her, nothing.

_Just a dream _

_Just an ordinary dream_

_As I wake in bed_

As the day progressed, all Minako could think about was the kindness Hatsuharu had shone her, something her life had been missing. Even as a small child she had been ignored, her existence meaning nothing to those around her. By that boy coming to her, it had made her feel as though she was important, that her presence meant something.

The only other moment that even could come remotely close to rivaling this day was when she came to Aya's house. Rei, Hotaru, and Makoto had welcomed her with open arms, as she did when Ami came along.

To her, everyone deserved to feel wanted.

_And the boy, that ordinary boy_

_Or was it all in my head?_

_Did he ask if I would come along?_

Sometimes life throws things at you to see how you can take it, to see if you can handle it. It had happened to Minako multiple times, and each time she had taken the blow and fell hard. This time, life gave her a little spark of happiness.

_It all seemed so real_

_But as I looked to the door_

_I saw that boy standing there with a deal_

That afternoon it was sunny outside, only small puddles reminding everyone of the storm. Minako walked home alone again today, but this time, wore a smile on her face.

The warm rays of the sun hit her cheeks, reminding her of the tears once shed. For once in her life she knew that someone somewhere cared about her. Maybe it wasn't quite love, but it was the closest thing she could get.

_And he said take my hand_

_Live while you can_

_Don't you feel the dreams are right in the palm of your hand?_

_In the palm of your hand…_

Maybe she would never be truly loved, but then again, was true love something real? Never had she felt it, but somewhere inside her knew that it indeed existed.

It hurt to know that your family never loved you nor did anyone else you became close with. It hurt to know that no matter how much you cared for someone, those feelings could never be returned. However, a light still shined in Minako's heart, telling her that not all was lost.

_Just a day _

_Just an ordinary day_

_Just trying to get by_

Sure, her parent's did not love her and gave her away and her life was full of loneliness. But, on her way home that day, she made a promise to herself, a promise to never feel alone again.

As she thought about it, she giggled a little, lifting a hand to her lips. It was funny to think that an ordinary day turned into one that she would never forget.

Her house was in her view now, the brown rooftop protruding from the trees. As she opened the black gate that stood as her only barrier to her home, she saw Rei on the porch, sitting on one of the chairs. Her cousin's gaze was broken when the gate made a squeak, making her turn her eyes upon Minako.

"You look happy today."

"Yes," The blonde smiled, walking up to the chair beside Rei and taking a seat. "I do, don't I?"

Rei was very confused. This was the first time she had seen Minako since her stay with the Sohma's and it was the happiest Minako had been in her presence. What could have happened during those three days? Besides, wasn't she going to question her about her disappearance?

"Why?"

She turned her head slightly to Rei and she gave a small smile. "Someone cared."

_Just a boy_

_Just an ordinary boy_

_But he was looking to the sky…_

_

* * *

_

**End of Chapter Seven**

How was it??? I think Minako and Haru are too cute. Next time is a normal chap, then a special one again!


	9. Chapter Eight: You Cannot See Me

Alright, I stayed up into all hours of the evening to type this chapter up for you guys. Next time, if you haven't caught on to the pattern I have made, is a special chap... featuring Makoto! Ami-chan is going to be after her.

Thank you to **PhoenixIllusion**, **Spirit of the Dead,** **Broken** **Gem**, **zodiac dragonHatori**, **Annayla**, **Kuroihitomi**, **Ancient Death**, **Jinx Chaos**, **Angel-eyes56**, **SessyLover180**, and **Rei** **Minamino**! Your reviews mean the world!!!!

Raiden: Disclaimer time, again!

Silence: Hai, it appears so. Would you like to do the honors?

Raiden: Ahem, neither Silence nor myself own Fruits Basket or Sailor Moon. Happy? And we don't own the songs in this fic. We do however, own the plot. SO NO STEALING!

Silence: Well said.

* * *

**_We Who are Cursed_**

**Chapter Eight: You Cannot See Me**

Rei sat in her science classroom, her eyes glazing over at the sight of the various problems on her worksheet. It had been two weeks since she had returned home, and in those two weeks, she had been very alone.

Hotaru talked to her of course, but, something was missing. Maybe she had thought Rei had forgotten her? No matter how much Rei tried to sit and share a conversation, the girl would always give short and generic replies, like her sister's words went through one ear and out the other.

The black haired senior turned her head so she could look out the window, the lecture given by her professor not exactly catching her attention. It was sunny, like it had been everyday since the day she left the Sohma home. She frowned a little, not liking that Mother Nature taunted her with the sun while she was quite miserable.

After school she was supposed to go buy some groceries, which she hoped, would make Ami a little happier towards her. Naturally, Ami couldn't express her feelings with words; however, she did quite well with just body actions. Her upturned face and numerous door slams in Rei's general presence made it clear that she was unhappy.

Makoto was starting to show some signs of recovery, but everyone knew that it was a false hope. The poor brunette would have a few weeks of torture in exchange for one day of happiness.

For some reason, Minako had been unusually happy. Every since that day when she greeted her on the porch, a smile was always plastered on her face, her eyes sparkling.

Before she could get around to wallowing in her self misery though, the bell rang, signaling that the school day was over.

* * *

She tossed a bag of curry mix into her shopping cart, pushing the buggy down the isles and dumping items in. Rei had always hated shopping.

The normal, cold bite of convenience stores ran up her arms, sending a cold chill across her skin. She could feel goose bumps forming on her arms and legs, neither of them being covered by her school uniform. But, she paid them no mind, only kept on with her current mission.

"Hello, Taisen-san!"

Rei turned to see a familiar face, Honda Tohru, with a smile on her features and a basket in her hand.

"Hello, Honda-san."

Tohru picked a box off the shelf, tossing it in her basket before Rei could see what it was. The brunette looked toward her and gave a warm smile.

"How are you feeling? I have been meaning to ask you during school, but you have just seemed to be so distant."

Rei could only shrug, not exactly having a valid explanation for her behavior and not feeling like she had to express her feelings. A part of her began to feel guilty for not being open to the brunette, but, that was how she was, never wanting to let people know her weakness.

"Hatori-san asked me about you the other day. He told me to make sure you didn't overdo anything…" Tohru smiled again as Rei and herself continued down the isle. "He is scared that you will aggravate your head injuries."

At this information, Rei couldn't help but faintly smile.

"You know… after Hatori told us the story of the Outcasts… Kyo has become curious…"

Rei lifted an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"Well," Tohru shifted uncomfortably, both of her hands fidgeting around the basket handle. "Kyo was the Cat."

"Oh, was he?" Rei asked, her voice not changing from it's even, quite tone. "I can understand why, but it happened so long ago…"

Tohru shrugged as she kept walking. "Well, Kyo still held his grudge against Yuki for awhile… But, they are civilized now, which makes me really happy!"

"Yuki?"

Tohru's shoulder's seemed to stiffen, but then relaxed. "He's was the Rat."

Rei couldn't help but be amazed at Tohru. She seemed so selfless and caring, like nothing could bring her down.

"How do you do it?"

The brunette looked confused, giving her new friend an awkward stare. "Do what?"

"How do you stay so positive? How can you be happy all the time?" Taisen Rei looked down as she spoke, for the first time feeling inferior. "I just don't get it…"

Tohru stopped and touched Rei's arm, making Rei stop as well. Her touch was gentle and comforting, giving Rei a sense of strength.

"My mother told me once that I need to look past the bad and go on with the good… If I dwell on all the negative things, I will pass up on all of the positive things." Tohru gave a big smile. "So, I go by that everyday. I don't want to disappoint my mom."

As Tohru walked away, leaving Rei to think alone, a slight wind blew outside and the sun shined even brighter.

* * *

Kyo was in his room, lying on his bed and staring at his ceiling. His school bag lay slumped in the corner, along with his shoes. He sighed loudly as he turned onto his side, his gaze going to the window.

There were other people that were cursed? How come he didn't know about this to begin with? He closed his eyes and started to drift into a sleep, however, a knock at the door kept him from doing so.

"What?"

A muffled voice answered him, but he could tell it was Yuki.

"Come in."

Kyo opened one eye to gaze upon the new room occupant. His silver hair was in its usual style and he still wore his school uniform, but his face seemed sad.

"What's wrong with you?"

The boy sat on the foot of Kyo's bed, putting his elbows on his knees and leaning onto them. The orange haired boy thought about glaring at him, but given his current sadness, he decided not to.

"Have you thought about what Hatori told us earlier? Rei?"

Kyo shrugged. "Well, yeah…"

Yuki let out a sigh, his head turned towards the floor. "I can't help but feel guilty… I caused them all to be cursed…"

"Listen, it wasn't you…" Yuki gave Kyo a surprised look, not used to him being comforting in any way. "The spirit that once possessed you, yes. But, no, it wasn't you."

"I know… but, still…" Yuki huffed. "I can't help but feel somewhat responsible."

At this moment Tohru returned from the store, walking into the room while the boys talked. They both gave her their greetings and Kyo welcomed her to sit on the bed instead of stand.

"Are you two ok?" She asked, looking between Kyo and Yuki's faces.

"We were just talking about Taisen-san." Yuki answered, his gloomy look returning. "About the Taisen curse."

"Oh," Tohru then looked down at her hands. "Do you think there is a way to break their curse?"

There was a prolonged silence, one caused from a lot of thinking and remorse. The brunette looked between the two quiet males and then smiled.

"I think there is."

* * *

Rei carried all of the bags in her hands, pushing the door open with her hip. With a sigh and her arms giving out, she hurled the bags on top of the kitchen table, liking the feel of her bag-free limbs.

When she walked in, she noticed Hotaru sitting on the couch, free of her blindfold. Her hands were folded neatly and sat in her lap, her fingers playing with the hem of her dress as she looked at her sister, a small smile on her face.

"How are you, Hota?"

"I am good." She pushed off the couch and stood to her feet, her hands holding each other in front of her. "Can we go to the park?"

"Of course." Rei looked to the groceries, pulling the items out of the bags. "After I put these away we can leave."

* * *

Hotaru swung back and forth on the swing, pumping her legs so that her height could elevate. She smiled as she glided back and forth, the wind blowing her hair around her face.

From her area of fun she could see her sister, sitting on a nearby bench and flipping through the pages of one of her school books. How she wished she could see her sister happy.

Beside Rei she could see a child, but it was a ghost child. Its transparent body was holding a balloon, blonde hair cropped above her shoulders. She was wearing a dress, but its color was a mystery.

Normally, she would have been scared and requested her blindfold, but lately she hadn't been so scared. For some reason, they just weren't that scary anymore. Well, most of them weren't. They were now becoming something she just had to live with, a normal part of her life.

"Hello."

A voice interrupted her thoughts, making her stick her feet to the ground, bringing her to a complete halt while gravel was thrown around her shoes.

"Sorry if I bothered you… I just wondered if I could possibly swing with you."

Her amethyst eyes looked to the newcomer, her eyes softening upon his gaze. His hair was blonde, eyes brown as chocolate and a mega-watt smile. He wore a school uniform, one that Hotaru was sure belonged to the same school as Rei.

"Um, sure."

The boy sat down beside her, now beginning to swing.

"So, what is your name?"

"Taisen Hotaru."

He smiled and looked ahead as he swung, Hotaru soon following suit. "Hotaru… that is a pretty name."

The youngest Taisen blushed, but couldn't hide her grin. She could only wonder what her sister thought of this spectacle.

"Thank you…?"

"Oh, my name is Sohma Momiji."

"Hmmm…" She nodded and kept swinging; her feet now stuck in front of her.

"So," Momiji started, still swinging casually. "Do you go to school? I haven't seen you."

The wind rustled the trees, the leaves of fall soon to form on the branches. Clouds were now beginning to cover the sky, the warm sun now fading away.

"I am not allowed to go to school."

Momiji was about to ask her why, but was interrupted by another girl calling her name, Hotaru and her looking strangely alike.

"It was nice to meet you, Sohma-kun. I must be going now."

Momiji's swing came to a halt as he watched Hotaru run to her sister, both of them walking away as a light thunder rolled across the sky.

* * *

Hatori sat at his desk, looking over some paper work and glancing at his book a few times. The window behind his work space soon became covered in water droplets, clouding the little light he could get without a lamp.

He sighed, lifting himself out of his desk and onto his feet. He tucked a hand into his pants pocket, walking into the living room slowly.

Upon his arrival, he noticed a drenched Momiji talking to Hatsuharu, whom needless to say, looked uninterested.

"I met her at the park! I asked her why she couldn't go to school, but some other girl called for her and she left."

"I wonder if she knows Taisen Minako." Haru wondered aloud, his words not escaping Momiji.

"Well, I bet she does if they have the same surname! They are related!"

The name Taisen caught Hatori's attention, making him stop the process of filling his coffee mug.

"Taisen?"

"Yeah, I met a girl named Taisen Minako at school." Haru confessed, his mind still back to the day they met. "She was really upset."

The black haired man turned to Momiji, lifting an eyebrow. "And, what were you doing all day? Why are you wet?"

"Oh, Haa-san! I met a girl at the park!" Momiji cheered, not really paying attention to the water dripping from his clothes. "Her name is Taisen Hotaru! She doesn't go to school, but when I asked why, some girl called for her."

Hatori continued to fill his coffee, his mind traveling to the girl he had healed a few weeks ago. He had a feeling that she was the one who ruined Momiji's moment at the park, unintentionally of course, but was still there nonetheless. That girl was indeed different.

"That is interesting, Momiji. However, I do believe that a change in clothes is in order, considering that water in now all over the floor…"

"Oh! Sorry, Haa-san!" The boy apologized loudly, scurrying off to put on a new outfit.

"Some things never change…"

* * *

**End of Chapter Eight**

So, next is Mako-chan! I already have more than half done! Yay me!


	10. Chapter Nine: Slipped Away

Here is Mako-chan's chappy. It is really sad. Not that the other's weren't, but I think that this one is more so. You will see in a few moment's I guess...

Thank you too... **Harpygirl91**, **Rei** **Minamino**, **zodiacdragon** **Hatori**, **Broken Gem**, **PhoenixIllusion**, **Angel-eyes56**, **Jinx** **Chaos**, **Spirit of the Dead**, **Sailor Taurus Angel**, **Kuroihitomi**, **MakruTree**, **KaiPhoenix**, and **Ancient Death**! I love you all! Thank you so much for reviewing!

Next special chapter willl be with Ami, featuring the song, "Room of Angel". Then Hota-chan. I haven't decided on the song yet, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know! I got "Room of Angel" from **Kuroihitomi**, so, I do in fact take your suggestions to mind!

Raiden: She does. Seriously...

Silence: See? Raiden is standing up for me for once. That has to count for something.

Raiden: SHUT UP!

Silence: You shut up, dammit! Or better yet, do the disclaimer!

Raiden: Fine! -huff- Neither I not Silence own Fruits Basket or Sailor Moon, nor do we own the respective characters. We do in fact own this idea though, so if you steal it, I shall KILL YOU!

Silence: Nicely said.

* * *

_**We Who are Cursed**_

**Chapter Nine: Slipped Away**

Makoto rolled around in her bed, her head pounding with anguish. Her eyes began to water, the emerald light beginning to fade away.

Ami had just been in there, giving her the daily dosage of a secret remedy. Sometimes Makoto wondered why they even tried to make her better, because even she knew that the effort was futile.

Her gaze turned to a picture frame located on top of her dresser, its golden case sitting right beside her hair brush. In the photograph were two people, a man and a woman, both of which were smiling.

The woman had dark brown hair, as did the man. They were holding each other in their arms as they turned and posed for the perfect shot. The shot that now remained in the hands of their daughter.

A tear threatened to leak down her face as she stared at the picture, her lip beginning to quiver. However, before she allowed this to happen, she slipped on her shoes and snuck out of the Taisen home.

_I miss you_

_I miss you so bad_

She trudged down the sidewalk, her feet dragging as the sun beat on her shoulders. Her long, brown hair nestled in a low ponytail at the nape of her neck, lingering to the middle of her back. Rei and Minako always told her how pretty it was, but she felt something different.

She hated it. It reminded her of them… her parents.

_I don't forget you_

_Oh, it's so sad_

Don't misunderstand, she loved her parent's dearly, but that was just it. She missed them. Each time she looked into the glassy surface of a mirror, her heart throbbed, sending her into a deep depression.

Makoto brought a hand to her tired eyes, rubbing them vigorously as she walked along. Seeing a wooden bench a few feet away, she picked up her pace.

_I hope you can hear me_

_I remember it clearly_

She landed on the wood with a hard thump, sending a sharp pain up her spine. Her breathing was heavy and her body frail, but she just couldn't go back home.

Not yet.

It was torture, lying in that bed everyday, praying to God that the pain would just somehow end. But, the bad part was knowing that it wouldn't stop.

_The day you slipped away_

_Was the day I found_

_It won't be the same_

Her chin was tucked to her chest as she wrapped her arms around herself, the wind sending chills up her arms. It was summer still, but one could feel fall quickly approaching.

Makoto blinked, but her vision was blurred by her warm tears. She began to feel a pain in her side, like a knife cutting away at her ribs. Her hands instantly went to the pain to apply pressure, but it wouldn't stop.

"Why…?" She murmured to herself as she lay hunched over on the bench, tears rolling off of her face.

_I didn't get around to kiss you_

_Goodbye on the hand_

"Makoto…" A voice spoke to her, a comforting hand on her shoulder. She felt whoever was behind her squeeze her shoulder, a drop of water fall in her hands.

"Yes, Rei-san?"

"They won't make it."

There was an echoing silence, all except the noise of the TV. Makoto lay on her stomach in her bed; her head nestled safely in her pillow. Rei still kept a hand on her shoulder.

"The plane will not land, Makoto…" She felt her friend's hand shake. "I saw it."

The ten year old Makoto turned around and frowned, ripping her shoulder away from her friend's grasp. Rei looked at her with red eyes, tears running down her pain stricken face.

"You're lying…" Makoto grumbled, right before shoving Rei to the floor. "You are making it up! You are just making it up to get attention!"

Rei looked to the floor, not responding to the outburst. If it were anyone else and under any other circumstance, she would have fought back… but not her… not now.

"I'm sorry…"

While Makoto stared at her, malice in her eyes and anger on her face, the TV began to seem louder now, the words cutting through the tension. You could only hear parts of what was said, but only parts was enough.

"Moment's ago…"

"Plane crashed in a field…"

"Investigators are currently on the scene…"

"No survivors…"

_I wish that I could see you again_

_I know that I can't_

"Funny…" Makoto laughed for a second, her hand still rubbing her watery eyes as she sat on the bench. "She is always right… yet, we can never believe her."

She continued to sit on the bench, her body shaking with sobs. The wind continued to send chills up her spine, making it harder for her to breathe. Coughs soon replaced her tears, her lungs feeling as though they were being clamped shut.

_I hope you can hear me_

_I remember it clearly_

Her fits of coughing calmed for the moment, her hands drawing her shirt closer around her form. She watched as her tears fell onto her pants, leaving water stains on them. Makoto's stomach ached, a throbbing surging throughout her abdomen.

"Are you alright, miss?"

She brought her emerald eyes up, meeting soft brown ones. A man was bent over, his face close to hers. Concern filled his features, a light frown on his face.

"I'm just upset."

The man sat beside her on the bench, blonde hair waving in the breeze. He sat a hand on her knee, looking at her caringly.

"When I was walking over here, I heard you coughing." He looked down to the ground for a moment, but then turned his gaze back towards Makoto. "Are you sure you are ok?"

For a minute Makoto could only stare, her mouth close to dropping open in shock at the caring nature of this man. This man, whom was still a complete stranger, had taken time to stop and check on her.

"Miss?"

His words snapped her back into reality, making her blush slightly from her distraction.

"Oh, yes… I am fine." She gave a small smile. "I actually need to head back home…"

_I've had my wake up_

_Won't you wake up_

_I keep asking why_

As she stood up she began to cough again, the man quickly standing to her side, putting his hand on her waist to steady her. She inwardly gasped at this action, but her coughing covered up her reaction.

"I shall walk you then. You are in no condition to go alone."

Before Makoto could protest, the blonde kept pushing her along, his hand still on her waist.

"My name is Sohma Kureno." He tilted his head down to meet her eyes, giving her a smile. "What is your name, miss?"

"Taisen Makoto."

At the revealing of her name, Kureno chuckled lightly, making Makoto frown.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Well," He began. "Do you happen to have a relative by the name of Taisen Rei?"

The mention of her cousin's name made her body freeze, the only reason her legs kept moving was the consistent pushing of Kureno.

"How do you know Rei?"

_I can't take it_

_It wasn't fake_

_It happened you passed by_

The duo rounded the corner, the path to her home becoming visible.

"Rei saved a dear friend of my family's from an accident a few weeks ago. She stayed at my relative's home for recovery." His happy face turned, smile dropping. "Didn't she tell you?"

The gate was within her sight, the leaves of fall flowing around her feet. Her eyes fell to the ground, mouth tightened in a line.

"No, no she didn't."

_Now you're gone, now you're gone_

_There you go, there you go_

_Somewhere I can't bring you back_

Her feet hit the porch, watching Kureno as he opened the door. It was then that Makoto realized how handsome Kureno was. He was tall, brown eyes boring into hers and soft, white hands on the door knob. His brown slacks billowed against the wind, blonde hair brushing his eyes.

"Taisen-san, I hope to see you soon." He smiled and watched her walk inside, but not before she turned and gave a weak grin herself.

"I hope so, too."

_The day you slipped away_

_Was the day I found_

_It won't be the same_

Makoto slipped back into her bed, wrapping the cover's around herself. She looked outside of her window, watching as the wind made the tree limbs sway.

The sound of her door opening made her look away, seeing a silent Rei between her room and the hallway. Upon seeing her cousin, she was immediately reminded of the conversation with Kureno.

"Rei…" She mumbled, pushing herself off of her bed with her arms so she could sit up. The silence was so thick and awkward that nothing could be heard but their breathing, neither of them knowing what to say.

"Rei, what happened two weeks ago?"

The black haired girl seemed to have stopped breathing, but carefully covered her exterior by not changing her facial expression, her lips staying in a thin line and eyes half hidden by eyelids.

"I had a vision again." Rei whispered, turning a little to escape the room. "I had a vision, and had to do something about it this time."

As she left, Makoto felt warm tears sliding down her face, a pocket of air caught in her throat. She brought a steady hand to touch her cheek, her eyes falling to her bed sheets as tears plummeted below.

_I miss you_

_

* * *

_

So, what did you think? I was so depressed when I was writing this.

Raiden: I could tell... and I loved the agstyness (not a word)!

Silence: Figures. But, anyway, next time is a normal chapter then it is Ami-chan 'special chapter' time!


	11. Chapter Ten: You Cannot Stop Me

Alright, 'tis chapter ten! I am on an updating frenzy. I am so proud of myself.

Anyway, I have been having a lot of people ask me about the songs, so I am going to list them.

Rei- "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap

Minako- "Ordinary Day" by Vanessa Carlton

Makoto- "Slipped Away" by Avril Lavinge

These are the ones for Ami and Hotaru

Ami- "Room of Angel" by Akira Yamaoka

Hotaru- "Socio" by Stone Sour

Thank you to **Jinx Chaos,** **:D**, **Ancient Death, Broken Gem**, **Rei Minamino**, **KaiPhoenix**, **Spirit of the Dead**, **Sailor Taurus Angel**, **Kuroihitomi**, **zodiac** **dragonHatori**, and **PhoenixIllusion**. Your reviews are what keep me going and what make me update so fast! Love to all of you!

Raiden: Love... Ew.

Silence: Ew, yourself. Be nice.

Raiden: Fine.

Silence: Alright, well I shall do the disclaimer this time. Neither I nor Raiden own Fruits Basket or Sailor Moon. The only thing we own is this plot. If anyone copies it, we shall be pissed.

Raiden: And I will chop off your hands!

* * *

_**We Who are Cursed**_

**Chapter Ten: You Cannot Stop Me**

Rei walked the streets a few days later, pulling her light jacket around her form. It was starting to get chilly outside, fall quickly fading into a weak winter. It was a Sunday, so school wasn't in. She hadn't found herself going the past days, but she didn't really care.

Ever since Hotaru and herself were abandoned by their parent's, Rei had planned to not go to college. Aya would support their funds and everything, so she just needed to stay by Hotaru. That was her duty.

_It is your fault. It is your duty to stay behind to make them happy._

Rei had her head turned down as she walked, not really paying attention to where she was going. Her shoes hit the ground softly as her feet nimbly moved along the Earth, the wind blowing her black locks around her face.

Looking up, she noticed a familiar sight. It was the Sohma home. The house was near her own, but she hadn't expected to find herself here. Why exactly did she come?

"Rei-san?"

Turning around, she saw Yuki standing, his face in confusion.

"I apologize, Sohma-kun."

"Oh, no!" He smiled warmly. "Do not apologize, Rei-san. I was just surprised to see you."

There was a silence, but it was short lived.

"Tohru has wanted to talk to you." Yuki nodded his head in the direction of the door. "You should go see her."

Rei gave the boy a short nod and made her way inside, looking around the familiar living room. She went to the stairs, her hand grazing the wall beside it. Her mind was so confused. Why had she come to the Sohma home?

She raised a hand and knocked on Tohru's wooden door, her knuckles lightly hitting the oak twice. The door swung open, a beaming Tohru on the other side.

"Rei-san! It is so good to see you!"

"You as well, Tohru-san."

The brunette opened her door wider, revealing her spotless room. "Come in, Rei-san!"

Tohru bounded on her bed as Rei walked in slowly, standing in the middle of the room. It was very clean for the most part, only a pair of stranded shoes lay beside her bed post.

"Yuki-san said you wanted to speak with me." Rei picked at the ends of her hair, her eyes fixed on Hotaru.

"Oh, yes! I have something I want to ask you about." She waited to see if Rei would answer, but she didn't, so she continued. "It is about the curse."

As the word 'curse' fell from her lips, she saw Rei wince, as if the word was a taboo on living. It made her ache inside to know that she was going through the same thing the Sohma's just conquered.

"I think there is a way to break the curse."

Rei stopped playing with her sleeve, her fingers seeming to have frozen. Inside she felt her heart stop, eyes growing wide. What exactly had Tohru said?

"W-what?"

"I think there is a way to free you from the curse!" Tohru jumped off her bed and walked up to Rei. "Somehow the Sohma curse broke and it was said to be an 'unbreakable' bond…"

"Tohru," Rei began, turning her head down. "The difference between our curse and the Sohma curse is that ours was meant to be a curse. The Sohma curse was supposed to be a wonderful pact between the animals and God. The curse of the Zodiac was broken because the bond weakened; the animals didn't want to be with God anymore…"

"Well, since the animals broke their bond with 'God', making the Zodiac God also not essentially exist like the animals, maybe your curse has weakened, too. Since, you know, the Zodiac God was the one to curse you."

It was strange seeing someone she had just met really care about her sad existence. Her own family didn't care, so why should Tohru? But still, what she was saying kind of made sense…

"Will you come with me to the main house? I have wanted to talk to Hatori-san about this for a few days…" She looked at Rei with puppy-dog eyes, her bottom lip curling under.

Unable to refuse, Rei simply nodded, her mind doing complete circles.

"Good!" Tohru began to skip out of the door. "Besides, Hatori-san has been asking about you!"

* * *

"Hotaru…" Makoto mumbled as she passed her in the living room, collapsing on the couch in exhaustion. "Long time no see."

Hotaru sat on the loveseat, her legging covered legs dangling off of the side. She had always been considered short, much like her sister.

"Hello, Mako-chan… how are you feeling today?"

The brunette smiled to herself, her expression not going unnoticed by the youngest Taisen.

"To be honest… great."

This perked Hotaru's attention. Makoto had used this phrase for the past four days, each time her voice a little happier.

"I am happy for you, Mako-chan…" Hotaru gave her a weak smile, her amethyst eyes showing much happiness. "It seems as if all is going well."

They watched as clouds passed the sun, the light sometimes pouring through the window and others not. The wind brushed through the tree limbs, making the dead leaves fall from their branches.

"Yes… maybe things are going good for once…" Makoto stated, rubbing her head. "How is Rei doing? I don't see much of her."

"Well, she disappeared for a few days… nobody knows where too." Hotaru huffed. "She doesn't want to talk about it."

"I asked her. All she said was that she had a vision and had to do something about it." Bringing up this phrase made her remember her parent's, but she pushed her feelings aside. "She has that cut on her head, too."

"I have been thinking…"

Makoto sat up, turning to look at Hotaru.

"Have you noticed that things are not the usual here lately?"

"Like what?"

Hotaru rubbed her eyes absentmindedly. "Well, you are feeling better and I don't see 'them' as often…"

Makoto let out a long 'oh' and fell back onto her back, resting her head on the couch arm rest. "Yeah. Kind of weird."

"Very weird, indeed…"

* * *

Rei and Tohru arrived at the main house a while later after a silent walk, neither of them having much to talk about. Too much was already said, and likewise, left nothing to say.

The Sohma estate was very beautiful, houses sitting inside a walled and gated area, vines crawling up the brick. The sidewalk throughout the place was made of stone, lined with flowers.

They reached a house in the middle, people moving around the outside of its walls, whispering and nodding in their direction. It made Rei very uncomfortable, but she was willing to follow Tohru, hoping that maybe Hatori would know a way.

Tohru knocked on the front door, almost for it to immediately thrown open and for her small body to be mauled by a blonde boy. Rei watched as Tohru squirmed underneath him, her face probably turning blue from the lack of oxygen.

"Tohru! It is so good to see you!"

"It," She choked out. "It is good to see you too, Momiji…"

The boy, whom was obviously called Momiji, turned his gaze to Rei, his eyes widening.

"Hotaru-san?"

Hearing her sister's name made her jump a little in surprise, not expecting it in the least. When had he met Hotaru?

"No, that is my sister. I am Taisen Rei."

He tilted his head, eyes full of confusion. "Are you the one who called for her at the park?"

Then it hit her. He was the boy on the swing.

"Oh, yes."

"You saved Tohru, right?"

She exhaled loudly. This boy was full of questions. He seemed cheerful enough, and in a way, reminded her on Minako. Speaking of her cousin, she hadn't seen her in awhile.

"I did, yes."

Thankfully before Momiji could ask another question, Hatori appeared from the front door. His eyes lingered on Rei for a moment, and then their eyes met, both of them staring deep into the other. After a few moments Hatori just smiled, opening the front door more.

"Please come inside."

* * *

"I like this one, Haru."

"Yeah, I do too."

The happy duo walked through the mall cheerfully, the blonde haired girl donning a smile. To everyone on the outside, it would look as if a couple was taking a shopping trip. But to them, it was two lonely souls finding serenity.

"I like these earrings…" Minako pointed to a set of diamond studs in the display case. "Too bad I don't have my ears pierced."

"Well, why don't you get them pierced?"

Minako pushed her gaze away from the glass box and sighed. "Because I was never old enough to do it without a parent and as I got older I just kind of forgot…"

Hatsuharu smiled and patted her on the head, making her eyes look into his.

"Let's go get them pierced then."

Minako's jaw about hit the floor. She always wanted them to be pierced, but dealing with the pain was another matter.

"W-what?!"

Haru grabbed her hand, pulling her to the booth in the back of the store where they did ear piercing. "Come on! You want earring's right?"

The blonde nodded slowly as she reluctantly followed Haru, who seemed determined to get her ears pierced one way or another.

After talking to the woman in charge, Minako found herself sitting in a chair, her hands fiddling with the end of her skirt. She had dressed cute to impress Haru today, and now regretted wearing a skirt. After all, they weren't that comfortable.

"You wanted the diamonds correct?" The woman asked, her voice cracking and squeaky.

"Yes…"

The woman pulled this odd looking thing out of the drawer and put the earrings in, grabbing a marker and putting a dot on each of her lobes. After agreeing with there location, she gulped loudly, her eyes glued to the ceiling.

"Ready?"

After a terse nod, Haru grabbed her hands, making her feel more relaxed. He massaged her palms with his thumbs, her body feeling as if she was on a cloud.

"All done."

Her eyes flashed open, looking to see a smile on Haru's face.

It was all over?

"No way." She looked at her ears in the mirror. "I didn't even feel it!"

Haru watched as Minako beamed in the mirror, looking at her new earrings. For some reason he couldn't help but smile, her happiness making himself content.

"I can't wait to show Makoto! She will be so jealous!"

She put her hands down and turned to Haru, her eyes shining. Without thinking, she leapt onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank you so much for making me do that!"

For a moment the world seemed to stop, time not growing a second older. But, it resumed soon, with Haru wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Your welcome."

For the first time in a long time, he thanked the Gods that the Sohma curse was broken.

* * *

Rei and Tohru walked inside Hatori's home, Momiji following close behind them as they went to the living area. Each of them sat around the table as Hatori brought in tea, waiting for him to take a seat before they continued the conversation.

"So, what brings you two here?"

Tohru took a sip of her tea and then placed it back on the table, her brown hair hanging over her shoulders.

"Well, I have something to ask you about."

Momiji hadn't even tasted the tea yet, only kept looking between Rei, Tohru, and Hatori.

"Do you know how to break the Taisen curse?" Tohru ignored the incredulous look she received. "Considering the bond between the Sohma curse and the Taisen curse, and the Sohma curse was somehow broken, shouldn't this one be able to be too?"

Rei looked at Hatori, whose face looked perplexed. She had never realized before how handsome Hatori was, despite the fact that he was considerably older than her.

"Well, I have heard of something…" Was all he had to say before they all got anxious, despite Momiji, whom was still clueless as to what the Taisen curse was.

* * *

**End of Chapter Ten**

Next time is Ami's special chapter!


	12. Chapter Eleven: Room of Angel

I updated again! Surprised? Well, school started and I have less time to do what I want. It makes me upset.

However, here is Ami's chapter. I am proud of myself for this one. Considering she can't talk, it is mostly all description. So, I am very proud of myself.

Thank you to... **Spirit of the Dead, zodiac dragonHatori, Jinx Chaos, Kuroihitomi, KaiPhoenix, Rei Minamino, Princess de la Luna, Broken Gem, Angel-eyes56, Makru Tree, Ancient Death, Sailor Taurus Angel, and PhoenixIllusion. **Thank you for the 101 reviews! It makes me so happy! T.T

**SPECIAL THANKS TO...**

**Sailor Taurus Angel,** whom was my 100th reviewer!

**Kuroihitomi,** who gave me the song idea! This chapter is dedicated to you my friend.

Raiden: Get on with the story already.

Silence: I hate you.

Raiden: It's mutual.

Silence: Grr... Well, do the disclaimer.

Raiden: Neither I nor Silence own Fruits Basket or Sailor Moon. We are simply borrowing the characters. We do however, own the plot.

Silence: And so the story commences...

* * *

_**We Who are Cursed**_

**Chapter Eleven: Room of Angel**

Ami sat on the park swing, her legs dangling and swaying as she swung back and forth. The clouds covered the sky, the sunlight peaking out through the small openings in the heavens. Her blue hair blew across her brow, brushing against her eyelashes that hid her deep, ocean-blue eyes.

Her blue sweater clung to her arms, matching sweatpants doing likewise to her legs. The leaves on the trees blew around her feet, which sometimes made a crunch when they broke apart.

_You lie silent there before me_

_Your tears mean nothing to me now_

Her hands wrapped around the chains of the swing, her grip not relinquishing. It wasn't that she was afraid of falling; she just liked the feeling of being secure, knowing that if she held on, she wouldn't collapse.

Of course, she had always been this way; trying to obscure the life of insecurity and doubt.

_The wind howling at the window_

_The love you never gave I give to you_

"Alright, Ami…" A taller woman spoke, wagging her finger in Ami's small face. "I will come pick you up tonight."

The small girl nodded her head in acknowledgement and then ran into Aya's house, a backpack bouncing up and down as she went.

_Really don't deserve it_

_But now there's nothing you can do_

Ami perched herself at the window, watching as cars passed through the trees and past Aya's house. She had been waiting for her mother for a few hours now, but still, she had not arrived.

"Ami, perhaps it is time for bed." Aya spoke, tapping Ami on the shoulder.

Ami shook her head no, her eyes still glued to the window. She refused to think that her mother wasn't coming for her. Maybe she had been held up at… wherever she went.

"Hey…" A small blonde peeped, tapping her blue haired counterpart on the shoulder. "Why don't you come play with me while you wait? That way neither of us has to sleep!"

Ami turned her head and looked at her new friend, whom she met only a few hours previously. She had learned her name was Minako, and the two sisters' were named Rei and Hotaru. She had yet to learn the brunette's name, she had been sick in bed the entire time she was there.

She couldn't help but notice Aya's change in facial expression when the two sisters' came in the room. Her body stiffened and face twisted into a look of pure hate.

"Let's play some more, Ami…" Minako begged as she tugged on her arm. "Please?"

"Yeah, let's all go back to Minako's room-" Rei began, but then was grabbed on the arm by Aya.

"Rei, you need to go to bed."

"But everyone else gets to stay up…"

She shook her head and drug her off to her bedroom, Ami's mind back then not understanding why the woman was bitter.

_So sleep in your only memory of me_

_My dearest mother_

Ami looked out the same window her mother left her waiting at all those years ago, her little, red car still not visible. She had not seen her mother since that day, the day when her world fell into shambles.

Touching the windowpane made her wince inside, the memories still aching within her soul. Why did her mother leave her all those years ago? Was she that hard to handle as a child?

Who was she kidding? She knew all too well the reason. It was because she couldn't speak… she couldn't even talk to her mother. What kind of parent would want to put up with that?

Not hers.

_Here's a lullaby to close your eyes_

_It was always you I despised_

In anger, the blue haired girl reared back, sending her fist flying into the glassy surface before her. It cracked a little, but mostly just made her hand throb. Grabbing her sore knuckles with her other hand; she walked back to her room and collapsed on the bed.

She had little spurts of anger every once in a while, but she just needed to control it. Her mother left her just like her father left them… it was as simple as that. There was no need to overanalyze or break it down, it was what it was.

_I don't feel enough for you to cry_

_Here's a lullaby to close your eyes_

_Goodbye…_

However, she couldn't help but wonder where her mother went. Maybe she went to find her father or to start over again… who knows? If only she could know what was going through her mother's mind.

Rolling over to look at the ceiling, her eyes began to glaze over, silent tears rolling down her face. What had she done to deserve this punishment? What had any of them done?

_So insignificant_

_Sleeping dormant inside of me_

Especially Rei… she hadn't done anything to receive the worst curse; the curse of the Phoenix. The entire Taisen family scorned her, including Aya. Ever since she was little she could remember the way everyone, with the exception of the other cursed, treated her. They were all so bitter to a small girl who had done nothing wrong.

Hotaru was always praised and loved by Aya, as were the other girls. Minako wasn't as much because of her rebellious personality to do as she pleased, but was cared for more so than Rei. Speaking of Aya, she hadn't come by in a while.

Technically this was Aya's home, but she lived somewhere else now that the girls were old enough to take care of themselves. She usually would come by every few days, but it has been more than two weeks and she still hasn't appeared.

_Are you hiding away lost, under the sewers?_

_Maybe flying high in the clouds?_

Deciding that she needed some time out, Ami put on her jacket and shoes, picking up her purse as she left. The library had usually been good to her on days like these.

It was getting a little cooler each day, weather wise. The wind now had a small bite to it, one that made you wince as it passed across your skin. But, Ami didn't mind. She liked the cold.

The distance from the library and the Taisen home was a short one, so Ami made trips frequently. Today though, she was going to do something else.

Curses from all different cultures were always talked about it. So, it was likely that the tale of the Zodiac was too. If that was the case, the Taisen curse might be also.

_All curses can be broken…_ She thought with a determined mind. _I don't care what they all say, it can be broken._

So, with cold hands she opened the door to the library.

_Perhaps you're happy without me_

_So many seeds have been sown in the field_

Without a second thought, Ami went to the research section. It was filled with primary sources, like diary entry's and first hand accounts… just what she needed. Plucking a few books from the shelf, she made her way to the tables.

She had planned on having a table to herself, but there was at least one person at each one. As a result, she chose the closest one, which had a silver haired boy already present. For some reason, he seemed familiar.

As she took her seat, she could feel him looking at her, curiosity lingering.

"So, you are studying mythology too?" He spoke, scaring her a little. He had a kind voice, so it quickly ebbed.

She nodded her head as she turned her head up, his handsome face wearing a smile.

"It is interesting, but I am hoping to help a friend."

With this she became confused. How would reading a book about mythology help one of his friends? It was so frustrating, considering that she knew the answers to everything else besides her own problems.

She already knew of many curses, but she had to find a common factor between them all. That was why she was here; so she could more easily find the similarities.

"Why are you here?"

She looked up at him again, shocked by his questions. Someone actually wanted to know about her? But, despite her want to reply, she could not, so she pointed to her mouth and shook her head.

"You cannot speak?" He asked and watched her nod her head. "Well, like I said, I am here to help someone. So far though, my efforts have proved futile."

She smiled and nodded again and then found her first book, "Curses throughout the Ages", and began reading. However, he began to speak again.

"I know you cannot reply to what I am saying… but I need to talk to someone about it. So, would you listen to what I have to say? I know we just met, but I need to say my thoughts aloud."

Ami, for the millionth time today was shocked. A complete stranger wanted to talk to her? Well, she saw no harm.

"I am trying to find something to help a new friend of my family's… We met her a few weeks ago when she saved someone very dear to us from an accident, and then had to stay with us while she healed. We found out something about her that had something to do with our family… mostly me-"

He stopped for a moment, his once happy face looking upset. What could he have done to this person?

"So, I feel that it is my duty to help her. Considering it was my fault that she is the way she is. Maybe in the process… I can help her family too."

_And who could have sprout up so blessedly_

_If I had died?_

"Thank you for listening…" He concluded, turning his face into a smile again. "I really wanted to talk to someone."

Ami nodded as a 'you're welcome' gesture and returned back to her book. The two of them sat in silence for awhile, which gave her the time to find some things.

She discovered in her search of the 'New Year's Curse' or 'Egg Curse' of the Celtic culture. It was believed that if on New Year's someone stole something from you, like food or livestock, bad luck would befall the victim. However, if they stole the stolen item back, their luck would return.

Ami frowned; she somehow doubted that this had anything to do with the Taisen curse. But, it had to be linked somehow to her curse as well as others.

The Tecumseh's curse was a curse placed on the United States President's who were elected in years divided by twenty. Whatever President was elected in these years were supposed to get killed while in office. However, the curse seemed to have been broken, considering Reagan, whom was elected in 1980, escaped his assassination attempt.

_I would have never felt sad at all_

_You will not here me say I'm sorry_

Flipping more to the back of the book, she ran into a ton of Egyptian curses, all of which were placed on tombs to keep out intruders. She needn't read those, considering that it was self explanatory. If you broke into the tomb, you were cursed from then on.

Then finally she got to the curse of the Zodiac, also referred to as the Curse of the Sohma. It didn't offer much information; however, it did briefly mention the curse of the Outcasts. The book didn't really tell her anything she didn't already know, but it was interesting to see the unbiased viewpoint.

_Where is the light?_

_I wonder if it's weeping somewhere_

Closing her book roughly, mostly out of frustration for the lack of information in the book, she drew the boy's attention.

"Not finding what you need?"

She shook her head to indicate a 'no'. He chuckled a bit.

"You don't look pleased."

Ami shrugged, and then stood from her place, stacking her books in an orderly pile. Yuki placed his book own down and began to help her stack her things.

"I have yet to learn your name."

For a moment she didn't know how she was going to tell him, but she found a way. Digging into her purse she pulled out her library card, holding it between her hands.

The boy reached for it, but Ami shook her head, pointing to him and then back to the card. Understanding what she meant, he pulled out his card and smiled.

_Here's a lullaby to close your eyes_

_It was always you that I despised_

"I see what your doing…" He laughed a little, still holding his card. "You are sly."

She looked up and smiled, shrugging as she did so. For a moment, she felt a blush coat her cheeks, making her smile more.

_I don't feel enough for you to cry_

_Here's a lullaby to close your eyes_

They exchanged there cards at the same time, both of them wearing a smile. However, when they read each other's names, a look of shock appeared on both of their faces.

Ami looked up numbly, not able to believe what was happening. Was this fate?

A few moment's later of staring, the cards of Taisen Ami and Sohma Yuki fell onto the table, the member's of the cursed families unable to tear their gaze from one another.

_Goodbye…_

_Goodbye…_

_

* * *

_

**End of Chapter Eleven**

Next time, the conversation between Hatori, Rei, Tohru, and Momij commences!


	13. Chapter Twelve: You Cannot Make Me

OMG... before you start throwing sharp objects at the computer screen... which I know are intended for my skull, I would like to apologize for this LONG wait.

Ok, now you can throw stuff. I deserve it. T.T

Anyway, this is a little bit longer than some of the other chapters to make up for it. I will update faster next time. I promise. Meanwhile, I am also writing a SMGW crossover called Condolences. 'Tis in the SMGW crossover section. Read that if you want. It is Rei centered. I also encourage you to visit the forum, Peace and War, for SMGW challenges. That is where Condolences came from. My friend **Nerf-or-Nothing** is the moderator. Has very good idea's for fics.

Thank you to... **Kuroihitomi, PhoenixIllusion, Angel-eyes56, Ancient Death, Spirit of the Dead, Jinx Chaos, Rei Minamino, zodiac dragonHatori, MakruTree, SessyLover180, Princess de la Luna, Taeniaea, Darkbadkitty, Broken Gem,** and **AthenaNoel** for reviewing! I love you guys! Thank you for making this story what it is!

Raiden: They have already waited long enough... Stop making it longer!

Silence: Alright! I am sorry! We don't own FB or SM. We do own the plot though.

Raiden: Steal it Death by Raiden.

* * *

**_We Who Are Cursed_**

**Chapter Twelve: You Cannot Make Me**

Upon the words Hatori spoke, Rei felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She was sure that everyone present noticed, considering she had stopped breathing and her mouth was agape.

"Excuse me?" She managed to squeak out, her throat feeling hoarse. Even though she was excited at a potential way out of the curse, she was shocked beyond all comprehension. Never in her wildest dreams did she believe that the curse could be broken.

"I have heard some things in the past from Akito…" Hatori cleared his throat. "She spoke of the Taisen curse only once."

"Why only once?" Tohru questioned before he could get any further, her face looking incredibly perplexed.

"The Taisen family was a subject that Akito liked to avoid if at all possible. However, something happened concerning a Sohma and a Taisen that made the subject unavoidable." Hatori began explaining, choosing his words carefully. As his eyes scanned the room, they eventually fell on Rei. He couldn't help but smile at her expression, eyes full of hope.

"It turned out that a Sohma by the name of Mamoru had run into the girl, Taisen Usagi, on one of his excursions to the 'outside'. Since then, they kept meeting secretly until they were discovered by Akito…" Tohru had stars in her eyes, sighing with a big smile on her face. Hatori guessed that it was because of the 'romance' involved. "Despite his protest, the two were married. It was said that sometime between their first meeting and marriage that Usagi's curse was broken."

Hatori looked over to Rei, whose face looked deeply puzzled. It pained him to see her look so lost, but he had no idea why.

"I think I should pay Usagi a visit." Rei murmured. "If anyone would know about breaking the curse, it would be her."

Standing from her place, she bowed her head, black hair falling into a curtain around her face.

"Sorry, Hatori-san…" She stood upright, a small smile on her face. "But I have one more favor to ask of you."

He smiled in return, making Rei's heart skip a beat. Hatori truly was a handsome man. "Yes, Rei?"

When he spoke her name, it made her feel warm inside. She couldn't explain why or what she was feeling, she just knew it was different… and she liked it.

Since that time when she first met him, Hatori was always somewhere in her mind. He was just so kind, too good to be true. He knew that Rei was cursed, and yet still helped whenever she needed it, always stepping to the plate when called.

"Could you tell me where Usagi lives now?" Rei scratched the back of her head, a light blush tinting her cheeks. "I have never met her, and now that she has moved from the Taisens' main house, I don't know where to begin looking."

With this he stood as well, ignoring the looks he received from Tohru and Momiji.

"I will take you to her."

* * *

Ami and Yuki still stared at each other, both of them shocked at the unlikely coincidence. Who would have known?

"You… you are related to Rei-san?" Yuki stammered, his face still full of confusion.

Of course all Ami could do was nod, her brain spinning. The probability of this happening was so slim, even impossible… and yet it still happened. It's funny how fate works.

_So that is why Rei was gone for so long…_ Ami thought to herself as she steadied herself on the library table. _She saved his friends life and I treated her so badly…_

"That means you are cursed, too…" Yuki said mostly to himself, but did not go unheard by Ami. "Is that why you can't speak? Does it have to do with the Taisen curse?"

She nodded again, mouth pursed in annoyance. Not so much towards the concerned Sohma, but to the curse she couldn't escape.

Of course, that would hopefully change.

"Are you here for the same reason I am? To break the curse?"

With another nod she began to wonder. What would it be like to speak? What would her voice sound like? Would it be a high pitched squeak or a lower growl? The more she pondered over it, the less she cared. At least she would be able to speak period.

Yuki sat back down again, resting his head in his hands for a moment. He could hardly believe what had just transpired between him and his new acquaintance. First they were just getting to know each other, and then they found out they were both descendant's of cursed relatives.

What an unusual day.

"Well, since we are both working towards a common goal…" He looked up to Ami and smiled, sending shivers down her spine. No one had smiled at her like that before. "Let's work together."

She didn't hesitate in giving an affirmative nod and an extension of her hand, sealing their deal till the task was done.

* * *

Before the excursion to the home of Sohma Usagi, Rei had never realized how big the Sohma Estate was. One wouldn't expect her too, considering she had only been there once before and didn't bother to look around. Now however, she took in the sight, her eyes feeling at ease.

Sakura was lightly drifting in the wind, a light breeze brushing against cheek. It really was quiet peaceful here.

"Are you nervous?"

Rei snapped out of her reverie and looked to her right, Hatori walking beside her and looking ahead. The wind blew just enough to lift his bangs from his eyes, making him seem almost mystical.

"What makes you think I am?" She challenged, looking at him with a small smile. She probably should have just answered sincerely, but hey, Hatori needed a challenge. "I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary."

He raised his eyebrow and smiled. "You keep fidgeting your hands."

She didn't realize it before.

"I am a doctor, Taisen-san. I can tell."

Rei grinned at him in return, looking back to the road. "Maybe I am a little nervous. I mean, what if she hates me? Everyone else does. It is my fault she was tormented with the curse to begin with."

Hatori frowned. "Taisen-san, it is not your fault. You as a person did not bring this curse upon anyone."

"But, they all think I did." Rei muttered mournfully. "Why would she be any different?"

He grabbed her arm gently and pulled her onto a bench by the walkway, making her face him fully.

"I can't tell you if she will be resentful of the fact you possess the spirit of the Phoenix, but I can tell you that you never know until you try." He looked deep into the violet orbs of his companion, worry etched deep within them. "I will be with you through the whole thing. I understand what it feels like to feel like this."

For Rei, she had never heard happier words in her life. Someone actually said they would help her, _stay_ with her. No one had ever told her anything like that. Her parents had the unsaid obligation, but they never fulfilled it. _Maybe now someone will be able to keep their promise… stay with me…_

"Let's get going. I know you are anxious," He smiled and rose to his feet, offering his hand to help Rei to her feet. "But, you can do it. I have faith."

* * *

Minako couldn't help but smile to herself as she pushed her shopping cart through the supermarket, taking it upon herself to do the grocery shopping for the week. Ami and Rei might fall down in shock and Makoto might faint, but she, Taisen Minako, was grocery shopping.

She had found great pleasure in showing off her newly pierced ears to her house-mates, rubbing it in their faces that she had beautiful diamond studs adorning her already 'gorgeous' ears, so she put it. What made her even more blissful was the fact Hatsuharu had been with her everyday since they met.

Out of the girls, the only one to meet him was Hotaru, whom had answered the door one day when he stopped by. She had questioned her about him, mainly asking how old he was and was temporarily shocked upon hearing that he was younger than Minako, his looks not displaying such.

She passed the medicine isle, picking up a bottle of Aspirin for Makoto. She had been doing well here lately, only taking pain killers most of the time and still managing to do chores and cook. Although the brunette wouldn't realize it, but the very fact she was up and going gave the house such an indescribable boost of morale that even Ami noticed.

Walking past the card, balloon, and gift wrapping isle, Minako paused, her blue eyes glistening as she observed the decorations. Her hands seemed to quiver slightly, but remained firm on the cart.

She couldn't help but wince when she saw these things, mainly because she had never received anything from anyone with 'good wishes' and 'happy birthday' spilled across them. Mostly though, she eyed the balloons that said 'Congrat's Newlyweds!.

Would she ever be able to get one of those?

To the average person, this would seem stupid, but to her, it would mean everything.

* * *

"Hota! I just finished the sandwiches!" Makoto called from the kitchen, sitting the plate of bologna sandwiches on the table. She had felt really good today, spending a lot of time with Hotaru and cleaning.

Now, it was time to feast.

The younger girl walked lazily into the kitchen, plopping down in the chair opposite of the chef. She straightened her black t-shirt and wiped the imaginary dust from her jeans, looking up to Makoto when she was done.

"Do you want to go shopping today, Mako-chan? I am bored." Hotaru claimed, stuffing the sandwich in her mouth. The brunette could only watch wide-eyed as the young girl crammed the food into her mouth, acting as if she was damn well near starvation.

"That sounds good to me." Makoto sat down her own sandwich and stared at Hotaru. "What is up with you? Why are you acting as if the sandwiches are going to all up disappear?"

She just shrugged, picking up her third one. "I don't know. I am just really hungry today."

"Hmm…" Makoto picked up her food again, staring at it for a minute. She didn't want to say anything and make it a big deal, but she had been feeling amazing the past few days. Her head didn't hurt as usual, and her heart was actually calm, the beat set at a normal pace.

Maybe things were getting better. After all, it seemed that Minako had found a nice boy, who even took her to get her ears pierced. She had been ecstatic, rubbing in all of their faces that her ear's "were far more beautiful".

Brat.

"I want to go to that new flower shop." Hotaru spoke after a few minutes. "Besides, we all know you love plants."

That she couldn't doubt. She loved flowers. Until now, she really never had the energy to plant any, only watch them from her window.

"Mako-chan… I am glad you are feeling better. Maybe Rei-chan will come home soon if you stay better..." The younger Taisen mumbled.

This intrigued her elder.

"What do you mean, Hota?"

She shifted in her chair uneasily, suddenly finding the table top more interesting. "Well, she just seemed sad at home. I know it has to be because Aya makes her feel so bad about herself. So, maybe if we all seem to be happier, she will stay here… with me."

Not particularly liking where this conversation was headed, Makoto picked up the sandwich dish and put it in the sink, dusting her hands on each other as she smiled. "Ready to go shopping?!"

* * *

"I-I can't do it!" Rei stammered, taking a few steps away from the door. If her family was here right now, they would probably go into cardiac arrest. Rei Hino, carrier of the soul of the Phoenix, girl who jumps in front of moving vehicles to save people she barely knows, cannot knock on a door.

She hated feeling so cowardly, not liking the way her hands shook, or the sweat lining her porcelain forehead; it was too overwhelming. Knowing that she was about to meet a former Taisen, a former carrier of the curse, and possibly someone else to hate her made Rei squeamish, her heat rate speeding up.

What would Sohma Usagi be like? Would she be a mean, old hag who scowls in the direction of her, or a caring angel sent from the heavens to take help her rid the rest of the family of this awful curse?

"Rei…" Hatori said her name again; making Rei get those feelings again. "You can do it."

For some reason, this seemed to give her a boost of confidence. Whether it was his voice alone or maybe her overwhelming sense of pride that made her knock, she would never know. But, the fact remains that she did decide to knock, her actions echoing off the porch.

Moments passed like days to Rei as she waited, watching for the knob to turn and the door to swing open, revealing another face with the frown she had grown accustomed to getting with each new acquaintance. After her nerves seemed to unwind, she saw it, the golden knob spin slowly, and the wooden blockade swing back.

"I was wondering when I would get a chance to meet you, Taisen Rei."

* * *

Makoto glanced down at her shopping cart, a smile adorning her face. Full to the top with flowers it was, ready for her to plant. It wasn't all her choice, Hotaru pitched in a few cases of greenery.

Just a few though.

"Mako-chan, I am going to go to the restroom real quick, ok? I'll be right back so we can go home." Hotaru told her, setting a case of marigolds in the cart. "Can you manage?"

"Yes," Makoto prodded back, sensing a small amount of sarcasm in the younger girls' voice. "I believe I can survive for five minutes by myself."

Giving a small smirk, the girl clad in black walked away, leaving Makoto to bathe in her loneliness.

"So, what to look at now?" She thought aloud, pushing her buggy towards some shrubbery. Poking out from some of the branches, pink flowers emerged, their cores colored a much darker shade. "Hmm… these are interesting."

"Indeed. They are rather interesting flowers…"

Startled by the new voice, Makoto turned to see a familiar blonde haired man, wearing brown slacks and a green sweater. He smiled lightly at the look of shock on the females face.

"Wh- what… Kureno-san?" Makoto stood baffled, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"Surprised?"

After realizing how ridiculous she must look, she folded her arms down, sighing from relief. "Uh, yeah, just a smidge…"

"I just seem to appear at the opportune moment, I guess."

"No crap…" Makoto gave him a wary smile. "So what brings you to this flower shop? You don't seem like a guy to buy flowers."

He tucked his hands in his pants pockets, giving a light shrug. "I'm not. I was just passing by and saw you in here, so I figured I would see if you were doing better."

"Yeah, I am…" Makoto trailed off, thinking back to the day when she first encountered Kureno. She figured that she would never see him again after that, and yet, it appeared as though fate pulled some strings.

"That's great." He smiled again. "Not sick anymore?"

She shook her head with a warm grin. "Nope… not sick anymore."

* * *

**End of Chapter Twelve**


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Socio

Silence: Ok, this special chapter is VERY different from the other ones. Since Rei and Hotaru's past was revealed in Rei's special chap, I made this one VERY VERY different. Like 'landmark huge point in the story' different.

Raiden: So, you better read it... it is indeed pretty intense.

Silence: Yep, it is!

Raiden: I will go ahead and do the disclaimer so we can get on with this. We own absolutely nothing, other than the plot. The characters belong solely to their creators, which are not us.

Silence: Too bad, though...

Thank you to... **Angel-eyes56, Taeniaea, Spirit of the Dead, AthenaNoel, Broken Gem, Darkbadkitty, Ancient Death**, and **no one** for reviewing! I appreciate every single one!

* * *

_**We Who are Cursed**_

**Chapter Thirteen: Socio**

Hotaru sat in her room, lying on her twin size bed. Rei wasn't home as usual, Minako was surprisingly grocery shopping, Ami was at the library, Makoto was planting her flowers, and here she was; bored and alone.

Well, not completely alone.

For the past few days, the same spirit had been following her, which was awkward because none of the other spirits had done this before. Most of them appeared sporadically, speaking inaudible words whilst waving around their blown limbs with crooked smiles.

This one was different.

It was a woman, that much she could tell. Her face was a blur though, hiding her features behind a foggy mask. She wore blue jeans and a t-shirt, tennis shoes to match. Her hair was long, draping a curtain around her features, hiding the face she couldn't see.

_Freedom in a cage- no sun and too much rage_

_I don't know how much I can take_

It didn't matter what day it was or what she was doing, this woman wouldn't leave Hotaru alone, much like today. Now she stood, or rather floated, in the corner of her room, looking at her from beneath the mass of hair that flowed from her scalp.

Hotaru looked at her back, staring her down with her own amethyst eyes. Something about this woman seemed familiar though, made her want to get up and deck her transparent self in the face. Resentment was the wavelength connecting them.

_Push it down inside, but it knows just where to hide_

_I know that 'normal' is hard to fake_

"Ugh, who are you? Why are you following me?" Hotaru asked the spirit hatefully, knowing that she couldn't respond. "This is getting annoying."

Looking back down to her hands for a minute, trying to ignore the ghost to see if she would leave, Hotaru frowned. After a good minute or so, she flipped her head back up, but the spirit still stood.

"Why won't you leave me alone?!"

The ghost seemed to react to this message, raising her hand to the door and pointing.

"Yes, go through the door and leave."

The spirit pointed to Hotaru and then to the door this time.

"No, I will not leave. This is my room."

This time the woman pointed to herself, Hotaru, and then to the door, seeming more insistent than the previous times.

Hotaru on the other hand was confused. Before now, she wasn't able to make contact to any spirit. Was this allowed in her curse?

_Bleeding into life- it's like a thousand knives_

_Are slowly turning me into this_

_Why does it have to be like this?_

The woman moved and proceeded to leave the room by floating through the door, giving Hotaru no time for decisions. It was either now or never.

Leaping off her bed and dashing down the hallway, Hotaru followed the floating figure, running through the living room and out the door. Almost tripping on the steps leading to the dirt below, Hotaru sprinted to keep up with the woman, who floated through the trees swiftly and with ease. She gritted her teeth and gripped her fists tighter, pumping her legs hard in the chase.

The further they went into the woods, the ones that separated them from the rest of the town; it became much harder for the small girl to keep up. Rocks littered the ground, making it almost impossible for her to run. Branches jutted out in her path, hiding the ghostly spirits trail. How was she supposed to follow this thing when she couldn't see her?

_I don't know what's wrong_

_It's like I'm too far gone _

_It doesn't matter anyway_

A few scrapes and falls later, she finally found the woman, levitating in the middle of a small clearing by a pool of water. All other forms of life seemed nonexistent, only the grass and trees giving off that force. The clouds hung overhead, glowing in their purple radiance.

The spirit turned her downcast head towards Hotaru, pointing at the pool of water with her right hand. Hotaru, wary at first, stepped forward slowly, not daring to look in the eyes of the ghost. For some reason, she felt like she wasn't supposed to see her identity, at least not yet.

Upon getting to the edge of the pool, the girl hesitated, trying to avoid contact with the small body of water. However, feeling the intense gaze of the ghost made her relinquish her vision, forcing herself to look into its depths.

At first, it appeared to be just an ordinary puddle, small waves vibrating back and forth, pulsing from the center towards its banks. Then she began to make out pictures, outlines of people.

"What is this?" Hotaru murmured to herself, getting down on her knees to get a better view. By this time, she could better make out the scene.

It was Rei and herself, sitting in the living area of their old home. Rei was sitting on the couch, watching a Saturday morning cartoon in her school uniform while she slept in the middle of the floor, not ready to start the day. Subconsciously she grinned while watching the past unfold.

Then her mother walked in, shaking her awake and leading them to the door. Undoubtedly it was time for them to go to school. Grabbing their backpacks and lunch boxes, they filed through the front door, their mother following close behind.

A change of scene followed closely behind, going to a memory Hotaru wished to be permanently erased from her mind. It was the day they first heard their parents argue about them.

_Fear is in my heart- just when I stop it starts_

_And I can never live this way_

Rei held her close in their room, which at the time was just outside the kitchen where their parents fought. They could hear them screaming curses at each other while throwing in degrading comments about them, making it seem as though their ears would began bleeding at any moment from the harsh words.

It was then Rei and Hotaru knew it would soon be over. Their family, their lives, their dreams… over.

"Why are you showing me this?" Hotaru asked angrily, looking to the faceless woman. "I don't wish to look back on these memories!"

The woman pointed back down to the water again, the old scene moving onto another one. This time, it was one she did not recognize.

It was showing a car driving down the highway, sleet coming down in tons around it while ice coated the asphalt beneath it. The small car was driving very quickly, and did not heed the signs that were being displayed by the oncoming bridge, warning travelers that ice was likely to be on the overpass. The vehicle showed no sign of slowing down.

Hotaru couldn't clearly see what was going on, but the car somehow lost control, spinning into the guard rail and into oncoming traffic. The small car was smashed between a dump truck and the railing.

It switched to a scene where the medics and police officers were swarming the area, taping off the area of the wreck and pressing back the public. The smoke from the engine and the breath of the people around hung in the air.

Two men broke off the door to the smaller vehicle, tossing it to the side like a broken doll, its metal case hitting the street below. One man got down on his knees pulling out a bloody body, only its arms and legs being visible to her.

The second man pulled out the black bag, holding it open while the first man slid the body inside. Hotaru wondered why they instantly placed the person in a body bag; because her vision of the entire body was limited she couldn't see the extent of the injuries. However, that would all change in just a few moments.

Both men moved in sync, stepping away from the body to bring a stretcher. It was then she saw it.

Protruding from the neck of the body was a piece of the guard rail, blood oozing from the gash and trickling down the chest and shoulders, running like a river on the asphalt below. And like a clear film, the blur was raised from her sight, revealing the victim's face.

It was her mother.

_Living with a curse, sometimes it's even worse_

_It slowly kills me everyday_

Her eyes were wide, pupils dilated to the size of a pinpoint. Her skin was white and clammy, looking cold to the touch from a few feet away. It felt as though a hammer had made impact with her chest.

Hotaru blinked back a few tears, only to find herself looking back to a clear pool. Turning her head back up to the spirit, she had found that like the blur in the wreck scene had been lifted, the one in present life had been also.

Before her floated her mother, eyes still dilated like the day of the wreck, a slit stretching from her chin to her collar bone, showing the place where the guard rail made impact. Her once shiny, black hair was now dull, hanging by her face limply.

Her mother was dead.

"M-mother…" Hotaru let a few tears spill from her eyes. "W-what…."

"I'm sorry, Hotaru." Her mother told her, floating a few feet back. "I am so sorry."

Feeling her chest compress harshly and send pains through her heart made Hotaru wince, landing on the soft grass with a thud. Holding onto the front of her shirt as she rested on the ground, Hotaru blinked, letting a tear fall from her tear duct.

But this tear was different than the rest. It wasn't of remorse, but rather of happiness.

Taking a deep breath and turning her head up one last time, Hotaru saw that her mother was no longer there, giving a small smile as she rested her head back on the grass.

"It is ok, mother…" Another tear drifted down her cheek. "It is ok."

It began to rain while Hotaru stayed there, closing her eyes while she continued to smile.

"It is ok, mother…" Hotaru whispered to herself. "Because I don't feel my curse anymore."

_Something I despise is going to take my life_

_I guess I'll try again today_

_

* * *

_

**End of Chapter Thirteen**

Silence: Ok, so Hotaru's curse has been broken! But how? And will she be ok? All of that will be answered next time!

Raiden: Or the time after that.

Silence: That too... because something happens with Rei and Haa-san next time! And don't forget the conversation with Usagi!

_**AN: With the 'different tear', I am reffering to the point in the FB manga where the curse is broken and how the Sohma react. The Taisen seem to be reacting the same way.**_


End file.
